Normal children can be assessed for various neuropsychological risk factors when given a simple test of their ability to identify aromas and simultaneously imaged with fMRI.
The finding may lead to the development of very early imaging biomarkers for all manner of brain conditions that develop later in life—and even much later in life—according to a study team led by Natalia Kleinhans, PhD, a neuropsychologist and associate professor of radiology at the University of Washington in Seattle.
Their research is running in the January 2019 edition of Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging.
The authors describe their work developing a quick yet dynamic way to visualize human olfactory processing via testing suitable for individuals of all ages and cognitive capacities.
They had 34 children of normal development between 7 and 12 years old undergo fMRI while inhaling air infused with the scent of a flower. The scent was released briefly and repeatedly over a 2-minute window, and the team synchronized release of the aroma with each child’s breathing rhythm to make sure the imaging corresponded with the olfactory stimulation.
Kleinhans and colleagues reported that their technique significantly activated primary and secondary olfactory regions.
Further, they recorded a strong relationship between the threshold at which the children detected the scent and heightened activation in numerous brain regions, “suggesting that this approach is sensitive to individual differences in olfactory processing.”
The findings demonstrate the feasibility of studying olfactory function in children using brain imaging techniques, the authors concluded.
In their discussion, the authors posited that focusing on brain biomarkers as per their demonstration “may help to characterize olfactory developmental pathways both for typical and atypical olfactory processing, and aid in early identification of conditions that develop during childhood, such as atrial septal defect, as well as conditions that develop later in life, such as Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease.”
The Kleinhans et al. study builds on recent imaging-based research showing a connection between a fading sense of smell and declining brain matter tending toward dementia in the elderly.
Elsevier has posted the new study in full for free.
Dave P. has worked in journalism, marketing and public relations for more than 30 years, frequently concentrating on hospitals, healthcare technology and Catholic communications. He has also specialized in fundraising communications, ghostwriting for CEOs of local, national and global charities, nonprofits and foundations.