Kollndorfer Kathrin, Kowalczyk Ksenia, Hoche Elisabeth, Mueller Christian A, Pollak Michael, Trattnig Siegfried, Schöpf Veronika
Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-Guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria ; Department of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-Guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Waehringer Guertel 18-20, 1090 Vienna, Austria.
Neural Plast. 2014;2014:140419. doi: 10.1155/2014/140419. Epub 2014 Dec 3.
The plasticity of brain function, especially reorganization after stroke or sensory loss, has been investigated extensively. Based upon its special characteristics, the olfactory system allows the investigation of functional networks in patients with smell loss, as it holds the unique ability to be activated by the sensorimotor act of sniffing, without the presentation of an odor. In the present study, subjects with chronic peripheral smell loss and healthy controls were investigated using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to compare functional networks in one of the major olfactory areas before and after an olfactory training program. Data analysis revealed that olfactory training induced alterations in functional connectivity networks. Thus, olfactory training is capable of inducing neural reorganization processes. Furthermore, these findings provide evidence for the underlying neural mechanisms of olfactory training.
大脑功能的可塑性，尤其是中风或感觉丧失后的重组，已经得到了广泛研究。基于其特殊特性，嗅觉系统使嗅觉丧失患者的功能网络研究成为可能，因为它具有独特能力，能在不呈现气味的情况下，通过嗅觉动作被激活。在本研究中，使用功能磁共振成像（fMRI）对慢性外周嗅觉丧失的受试者和健康对照进行了研究，以比较嗅觉训练计划前后主要嗅觉区域之一的功能网络。数据分析显示，嗅觉训练引起了功能连接网络的改变。因此，嗅觉训练能够诱导神经重组过程。此外，这些发现为嗅觉训练的潜在神经机制提供了证据。
