Giancarlo Ottaviano1, Elena Cantone2, Arianna D'Errico3, Alessandro Salvalaggio4, Valentina Citton4, Bruno Scarpa5, Angela Favaro6, Antonio Agostino Sinisi7, Raffaele Liuzzi8, Guglielmo Bonanni9, Francesco Di Salle10, Andrea Elefante3, Renzo Manara10, Alberto Staffieri1, Alessandro Martini6, Arturo Brunetti3. 1. Department of Neurosciences, Otolaryngology Section, University of Padova, Padova, Italy. 2. Department of Neuroscience, Reproductive and Odontostomatologic Science, ENT Unit and Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnology, "Federico II" University, Napoli, Italy. 3. Department of Advanced Biomedical Sciences-Neuroradiology, "Federico II" University, Napoli, Italy. 4. Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Venezia, Italy. 5. Department of Statistical Sciences, University of Padova, Padova, Italy. 6. Department of Neurosciences, University of Padova, Padova, Italy. 7. Department of Cardiothoracic Sciences, Second University of Napoli, Napoli, Italy. 8. Institute of Biostructure and Bioimaging, National Research Council, School of Medicine, "Federico II" University, Napoli, Italy. 9. Department of Medicine (DIMED), University of Padova, Padova, Italy. 10. Department of Neuroradiology, University of Salerno, Salerno, Italy.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: The relationship between olfactory function, rhinencephalon and forebrain changes in Kallmann syndrome (KS) have not been adequately investigated. We evaluated a large cohort of male KS patients using Sniffin' Sticks and MRI in order to study olfactory bulb (OB) volume, olfactory sulcus (OS) depth, cortical thickness close to the OS, and olfactory phenotype. METHODS: Olfaction was assessed administering Sniffin' Sticks®, in 38 KS patients and 17 controls (by means of Screening 12 test®). All subjects underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to study OB volume, sulcus depth, and cortical thickness. RESULTS: Compared to controls, KS patients showed smaller OB volume (p<0.0001), reduced sulcus depth (p<0.0001), and thicker cortex in the region close to the OS (p<0.0001). Anosmic KS patients had smaller OB than controls and hyposmic KS patients; there was no difference between hyposmic KS patients and controls. OB volume correlated with Sniffin' Sticks score (r = 0.64; p < 0.001), OS depth (p<0.0001) and, inversely, with cortical thickness changes (p<0.0001). Sniffin' Sticks showed an inverse correlation with cortical thickness (r = -0.5; p<0.0001) and a trend toward a statistically significant correlation with OS depth. CONCLUSION: The present study provides further evidence of the strict relationship between olfaction and OB volume. The strong correlation between OB volume and the overlying cortical changes highlights the key role of rhinencephalon in forebrain embryogenesis.
BACKGROUND: The relationship between olfactory function, rhinencephalon and forebrain changes in Kallmann syndrome (KS) have not been adequately investigated. We evaluated a large cohort of male KS patients using Sniffin' Sticks and MRI in order to study olfactory bulb (OB) volume, olfactory sulcus (OS) depth, cortical thickness close to the OS, and olfactory phenotype. METHODS: Olfaction was assessed administering Sniffin' Sticks®, in 38 KS patients and 17 controls (by means of Screening 12 test®). All subjects underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to study OB volume, sulcus depth, and cortical thickness. RESULTS: Compared to controls, KS patients showed smaller OB volume (p<0.0001), reduced sulcus depth (p<0.0001), and thicker cortex in the region close to the OS (p<0.0001). Anosmic KS patients had smaller OB than controls and hyposmic KS patients; there was no difference between hyposmic KS patients and controls. OB volume correlated with Sniffin' Sticks score (r = 0.64; p < 0.001), OS depth (p<0.0001) and, inversely, with cortical thickness changes (p<0.0001). Sniffin' Sticks showed an inverse correlation with cortical thickness (r = -0.5; p<0.0001) and a trend toward a statistically significant correlation with OS depth. CONCLUSION: The present study provides further evidence of the strict relationship between olfaction and OB volume. The strong correlation between OB volume and the overlying cortical changes highlights the key role of rhinencephalon in forebrain embryogenesis.
Authors: Antonella M Di Lullo; Camilla Russo; Piera Piroli; Alessandra Petti; Pasquale Capriglione; Elena Cantone; Gaetano Motta; Maurizio Iengo; Andrea Elefante; Michele Cavaliere Journal: Am J Case Rep Date: 2020-08-18
Authors: Anna Bordin; Carla Mucignat-Caretta; Piergiorgio Gaudioso; Alfonso Luca Pendolino; Davide Leoni; Bruno Scarpa; Peter J Andrews; Anna Maria Cattelan; Angelo Antonini; Piero Nicolai; Rosario Marchese-Ragona; Giancarlo Ottaviano Journal: Int Forum Allergy Rhinol Date: 2021-06-20 Impact factor: 5.426