Tan Ziyi, Wang Yingzhe, Lu Heyang, Tian Weizhong, Xu Kelin, Fan Min, Zhao Xiaolan, Jin Li, Cui Mei, Jiang Yanfeng, Chen Xingdong
State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering, Zhangjiang Fudan International Innovation Center, School of Life Sciences, Human Phenome Institute, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
Fudan University Taizhou Institute of Health Sciences, Taizhou, China.
Front Aging Neurosci. 2022 Jul 5;14:873032. doi: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.873032. eCollection 2022.
Olfactory identification dysfunction frequently occurs in individuals with cognitive decline; however, a pathological mechanism linking the two has not been discovered. We aimed to study the association between olfactory identification and cognitive function, and determine the effects of brain regions atrophy therein.
A total of 645 individuals (57.5% were female) from the Taizhou Imaging Study, who underwent cognitive and olfactory identification measurements, were included. A subsample of participants underwent brain magnetic resonance imaging ( = 622). Cognition was assessed with a neuropsychological battery. Olfactory identification was measured using a 12-item Sniffin' Sticks test. Beta and logistic regressions were used to elucidate the association between olfactory identification and cognition, and the effects of brain regions atrophy in this association.
Dementia was diagnosed in 41 (6.4%) individuals (mean age = 64.8 years), and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) in 157 (24.3%) individuals (mean age = 64.4 years). Olfactory identification was associated with MMSE and MoCA (both < 0.001) and specific cognitive domains (memory, executive function, visuospatial function, and language; all < 0.05). Higher olfactory identification was associated with lower likelihood of MCI and dementia ( < 0.05). The amygdala volume was significantly related to olfactory identification, MMSE, MoCA, and language, and could attenuate the association between olfactory identification and cognitive function.
The association between olfactory identification and cognition can be partly attributable to differences in amygdala volume, suggesting that the amygdala could be a shared neural substrate that links olfactory identification and cognitive function. Limitations of this study include that all these results were based on a cross-sectional study.
嗅觉识别功能障碍在认知功能减退的个体中经常出现；然而，尚未发现将两者联系起来的病理机制。我们旨在研究嗅觉识别与认知功能之间的关联，并确定脑区萎缩在其中的作用。
纳入了来自台州影像研究的645名个体（57.5%为女性），他们接受了认知和嗅觉识别测量。部分参与者进行了脑磁共振成像（n = 622）。使用一套神经心理测试评估认知功能。使用12项嗅觉棒测试测量嗅觉识别。采用β回归和逻辑回归来阐明嗅觉识别与认知之间的关联，以及脑区萎缩在这种关联中的作用。
41名（6.4%）个体被诊断为痴呆（平均年龄 = 64.8岁），157名（24.3%）个体被诊断为轻度认知障碍（MCI，平均年龄 = 64.4岁）。嗅觉识别与简易精神状态检查表（MMSE）和蒙特利尔认知评估量表（MoCA）均相关（均P < 0.001），也与特定认知领域（记忆、执行功能、视觉空间功能和语言；均P < 0.05）相关。较高的嗅觉识别与较低的MCI和痴呆可能性相关（P < 0.05）。杏仁核体积与嗅觉识别、MMSE、MoCA和语言显著相关，并且可以减弱嗅觉识别与认知功能之间的关联。
嗅觉识别与认知之间的关联部分可归因于杏仁核体积的差异，这表明杏仁核可能是连接嗅觉识别与认知功能的共同神经基础。本研究的局限性包括所有这些结果均基于横断面研究。
