Olfaction as a Marker for Psychiatric and Neurological Diseases

A special issue of Brain Sciences (ISSN 2076-3425). This special issue belongs to the section "Neuro-otology and Neuro-ophthalmology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (5 September 2020) | Viewed by 29093

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Regional Trauma Center, UMR 1253 iBrain, Clinical Investigation Center CIC1415, CHRU de Tours, Université de Tours, INSERM, 37000 Tours, France
Interests: PTSD; treatment-resistant depression; PNES
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Olfaction can be measured and altered at different levels. Olfactory disorders have various forms (anosmia, partial anosmia, hyposmia, microsmia, dysosmia, phantosmia, olfactory agnosia, hyperosmia) and causes (e.g., following accidents, psychiatric and neurological conditions, aging, medical interventions, and exposure to environmental chemicals). Olfactory dysfunctions and biases can be characterized and thus constitute potential markers for psychiatric and neurological disorders, in which dysfunctions can be considered as either a consequence of the disease or a vulnerability factor.

This Special Issue will publish contributions about innovative diagnostic and therapeutic approaches of olfactory disorders, and original research articles advancing our understanding of “Olfaction as a Marker for Psychiatric and Neurological diseases”. Reviews providing an analytical perspective on the existing literature are also welcome.

Prof. Dr. Wissam El-Hage
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • Depression
  • Post-traumatic stress disorder
  • Olfaction
  • Psychogenic nonepileptic seizures
  • Imaging
  • Brain
  • Autism Spectrum Disorder
  • Alzheimer

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Published Papers (7 papers)

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Editorial

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2 pages, 173 KiB  
Editorial
Olfaction as a Marker for Psychiatric and Neurological Diseases
by Wissam El-Hage
Brain Sci. 2022, 12(1), 23; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci12010023 - 25 Dec 2021
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2408
Abstract
Olfaction is one of the oldest senses among the five human senses [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Olfaction as a Marker for Psychiatric and Neurological Diseases)

Research

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20 pages, 3190 KiB  
Article
Mindfulness, Interoception, and Olfaction: A Network Approach
by Barbara Lefranc, Charles Martin-Krumm, Charlotte Aufauvre-Poupon, Benoit Berthail and Marion Trousselard
Brain Sci. 2020, 10(12), 921; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci10120921 - 29 Nov 2020
Cited by 10 | Viewed by 4258
Abstract
The fine-tuned interplay between the brain and the body underlies the adaptive ability to respond appropriately in the changing environment. Mindfulness Disposition (MD) has been associated with efficient emotional functioning because of a better ability to feel engaged by information from the body [...] Read more.
The fine-tuned interplay between the brain and the body underlies the adaptive ability to respond appropriately in the changing environment. Mindfulness Disposition (MD) has been associated with efficient emotional functioning because of a better ability to feel engaged by information from the body and to notice subtle changes. This interoceptive ability is considered to shape the ability to respond to external stimuli, especially olfaction. However, few studies have evaluated the relationships between interoception and exteroception according to MD. We conducted an exploratory study among 76 healthy subjects for first investigating whether MD is associated with better exteroception and second for describing the causal interactions network between mindfulness, interoception, emotion, and subjective and objective olfaction assessments. Results found that a high level of MD defined by clustering exhibited best scores in positive emotions, interoception, and extra sensors’ acuity. The causal network approach showed that the interactions between the interoception subscales differed according to the MD profiles. Moreover, interoception awareness is strongly connected with both the MD and the hedonic value of odors. Then, differences according to MD might provide arguments for a more mindful attention style toward interoceptive cues in relation to available exteroceptive information. This interaction might underlie positive health. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Olfaction as a Marker for Psychiatric and Neurological Diseases)
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16 pages, 3102 KiB  
Article
Olfactory Memory in Depression: State and Trait Differences between Bipolar and Unipolar Disorders
by François Kazour, Sami Richa, Chantale Abi Char, Boriana Atanasova and Wissam El-Hage
Brain Sci. 2020, 10(3), 189; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci10030189 - 24 Mar 2020
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3890
Abstract
Background: Changes in olfactory recognition memory may constitute sensory markers in depression. Significant differences may exist between unipolar and bipolar depression. Our study compares olfactory memory between control, unipolar, and bipolar patients in depressed and euthymic states in order to identify potential markers [...] Read more.
Background: Changes in olfactory recognition memory may constitute sensory markers in depression. Significant differences may exist between unipolar and bipolar depression. Our study compares olfactory memory between control, unipolar, and bipolar patients in depressed and euthymic states in order to identify potential markers of depression. Methods: 176 participants were recruited in 5 groups: depressed bipolar (DB), euthymic bipolar (EB), depressed unipolar (DU), euthymic unipolar (EU), and controls (HC). The participants had a standardized clinical and olfactory assessment (olfactory memory, evaluation of pleasantness, intensity, familiarity, and emotional aspect of smells). Results: DU, DB, and EU patients had a deficit in olfactory memory compared to HC. DB patients had lower capacity to recognize new odors. DB and DU patients had more limited detection of unfamiliar odors than HC. DB patients rated odors as less pleasant compared to the other groups. All groups had lower hedonic ratings than HC. DB patients had lower emotional ratings than EU patients. Conclusions: Olfactory memory is impaired in depressive states, thus constituting a state marker of depression. Impairments in olfactory memory persist after remission of bipolar depression, thus constituting a possible trait marker of bipolarity. Hedonic rating differentiates unipolar from bipolar depression. This is the first study that identifies a sensory marker differentiating between unipolar and bipolar depression. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Olfaction as a Marker for Psychiatric and Neurological Diseases)
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14 pages, 2117 KiB  
Article
Functional Connectivity between the Resting-State Olfactory Network and the Hippocampus in Alzheimer’s Disease
by Jiaming Lu, Nicole Testa, Rebecca Jordan, Rommy Elyan, Sangam Kanekar, Jianli Wang, Paul Eslinger, Qing X. Yang, Bing Zhang and Prasanna R. Karunanayaka
Brain Sci. 2019, 9(12), 338; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci9120338 - 25 Nov 2019
Cited by 44 | Viewed by 5034
Abstract
Olfactory impairment is associated with prodromal Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and is a risk factor for the development of dementia. AD pathology is known to disrupt brain regions instrumental in olfactory information processing, such as the primary olfactory cortex (POC), the hippocampus, and other [...] Read more.
Olfactory impairment is associated with prodromal Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and is a risk factor for the development of dementia. AD pathology is known to disrupt brain regions instrumental in olfactory information processing, such as the primary olfactory cortex (POC), the hippocampus, and other temporal lobe structures. This selective vulnerability suggests that the functional connectivity (FC) between the olfactory network (ON), consisting of the POC, insula and orbital frontal cortex (OFC) (Tobia et al., 2016), and the hippocampus may be impaired in early stage AD. Yet, the development trajectory of this potential FC impairment remains unclear. Here, we used resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) data from the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) to investigate FC changes between the ON and hippocampus in four groups: aged-matched cognitively normal (CN), early mild cognitive impairment (EMCI), late mild cognitive impairment (LMCI), and AD. FC was calculated using low frequency fMRI signal fluctuations in the ON and hippocampus (Tobia et al., 2016). We found that the FC between the ON and the right hippocampus became progressively disrupted across disease states, with significant differences between EMCI and LMCI groups. Additionally, there were no significant differences in gray matter hippocampal volumes between EMCI and LMCI groups. Lastly, the FC between the ON and hippocampus was significantly correlated with neuropsychological test scores, suggesting that it is related to cognition in a meaningful way. These findings provide the first in vivo evidence for the involvement of FC between the ON and hippocampus in AD pathology. Results suggest that functional connectivity (FC) between the olfactory network (ON) and hippocampus may be a sensitive marker for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) progression, preceding gray matter volume loss. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Olfaction as a Marker for Psychiatric and Neurological Diseases)
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13 pages, 448 KiB  
Article
Emotional and Phenomenological Properties of Odor-Evoked Autobiographical Memories in Alzheimer’s Disease
by Ophélie Glachet and Mohamad El Haj
Brain Sci. 2019, 9(6), 135; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci9060135 - 10 Jun 2019
Cited by 25 | Viewed by 5960
Abstract
Autobiographical memory, which contains all personal memories relative to our identity, has been found to be impaired in Alzheimer’ Disease (AD). Recent research has demonstrated that odor may serve as a powerful cue for the recovery of autobiographical memories in AD. Building on [...] Read more.
Autobiographical memory, which contains all personal memories relative to our identity, has been found to be impaired in Alzheimer’ Disease (AD). Recent research has demonstrated that odor may serve as a powerful cue for the recovery of autobiographical memories in AD. Building on this research, we investigated emotional characteristics (arousal and valence) and subjective reliving of odor-evoked autobiographical memories in AD. We also investigated the relationship between these characteristics and depression. To this end, we invited participants with mild AD and controls to retrieve autobiographical memories after odor exposure or without odor. Results showed higher arousal, subjective reliving and more positive memories after odor exposure compared with the odor-free condition, these differences being observed only in AD participants. We also found that emotion (arousal and valence) and subjective reliving triggered by odor were associated with depressive symptoms in AD. These findings demonstrate that odor may be a useful cue to trigger more detailed, vivid and positive events in AD. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Olfaction as a Marker for Psychiatric and Neurological Diseases)
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Review

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19 pages, 422 KiB  
Review
Olfaction as a Marker for Dystonia: Background, Current State and Directions
by Thorsten Herr, Julie Gamain, Robert Fleischmann, Bernhard Lehnert, Marcus Vollmer, Carsten Willert, Birgitt Veit, Andrea Stenner, Jan-Uwe Mueller, Barbara Caspers and Martin Kronenbuerger
Brain Sci. 2020, 10(10), 727; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci10100727 - 13 Oct 2020
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 3175
Abstract
Dystonia is a heterogeneous group of hyperkinetic movement disorders. The unifying descriptor of dystonia is the motor manifestation, characterized by continuous or intermittent contractions of muscles that cause abnormal movements and postures. Additionally, there are psychiatric, cognitive, and sensory alterations that are possible [...] Read more.
Dystonia is a heterogeneous group of hyperkinetic movement disorders. The unifying descriptor of dystonia is the motor manifestation, characterized by continuous or intermittent contractions of muscles that cause abnormal movements and postures. Additionally, there are psychiatric, cognitive, and sensory alterations that are possible or putative non-motor manifestations of dystonia. The pathophysiology of dystonia is incompletely understood. A better understanding of dystonia pathophysiology is highly relevant in the amelioration of significant disability associated with motor and non-motor manifestations of dystonia. Recently, diminished olfaction was found to be a potential non-motor manifestation that may worsen the situation of subjects with dystonia. Yet, this finding may also shed light into dystonia pathophysiology and yield novel treatment options. This article aims to provide background information on dystonia and the current understanding of its pathophysiology, including the key structures involved, namely, the basal ganglia, cerebellum, and sensorimotor cortex. Additionally, involvement of these structures in the chemical senses are reviewed to provide an overview on how olfactory (and gustatory) deficits may occur in dystonia. Finally, we describe the present findings on altered chemical senses in dystonia and discuss directions of research on olfactory dysfunction as a marker in dystonia. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Olfaction as a Marker for Psychiatric and Neurological Diseases)
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Other

14 pages, 2067 KiB  
Case Report
Chemosensory Event-Related Potentials and Power Spectrum Could Be a Possible Biomarker in 3M Syndrome Infants?
by Sara Invitto, Alberto Grasso, Dario Domenico Lofrumento, Vincenzo Ciccarese, Angela Paladini, Pasquale Paladini, Raffaella Marulli, Vilfredo De Pascalis, Matteo Polsinelli and Giuseppe Placidi
Brain Sci. 2020, 10(4), 201; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci10040201 - 30 Mar 2020
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3551
Abstract
3M syndrome is a rare disorder that involves the gene cullin-7 (CUL7). CUL7 modulates odour detection, conditions the olfactory response (OR) and plays a role in the development of the olfactory system. Despite this involvement, there are no direct studies on [...] Read more.
3M syndrome is a rare disorder that involves the gene cullin-7 (CUL7). CUL7 modulates odour detection, conditions the olfactory response (OR) and plays a role in the development of the olfactory system. Despite this involvement, there are no direct studies on olfactory functional effects in 3M syndrome. The purpose of the present work was to analyse the cortical OR through chemosensory event-related potentials (CSERPs) and power spectra calculated by electroencephalogram (EEG) signals recorded in 3M infants: two twins (3M-N) and an additional subject (3M-O). The results suggest that olfactory processing is diversified. Comparison of N1 and Late Positive Component (LPC) indicated substantial differences in 3M syndrome that may be a consequence of a modified olfactory processing pattern. Moreover, the presence of delta rhythms in 3M-O and 3M-N clearly indicates their involvement with OR, since the delta rhythm is closely connected to chemosensory perception, in particular to olfactory perception. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Olfaction as a Marker for Psychiatric and Neurological Diseases)
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