Invitto Sara, Boscolo-Rizzo Paolo, Spinato Giacomo, Trinchera Giuseppe, Accogli Giuseppe, Ciccarese Vincenzo, Saba Luca, Caggiula Marcella, Barbagallo Gaetano, Pauciulo Alfredo, de Tommaso Marina
Laboratory on Cognitive and Psychophysiological Olfactory Processes, Department of Biological and Environmental Science and Technologies, University of Salento, 73100 Lecce, Italy.
Department of Medical, Surgical, and Health Sciences, Section of Otolaryngology, University of Trieste, 34127 Trieste, Italy.
Brain Sci. 2024 Jul 12;14(7):697. doi: 10.3390/brainsci14070697.
Mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is a significant concern as it is a risk factor for AD progression, and early detection is vital in order to delay dementia onset and enable potential therapeutic interventions. Olfactory impairment is recognized as a predictive biomarker in neurodegenerative processes. The aims of this study were to explore the degree of entorhinal cortical atrophy (ERICA) and the severity of MCI symptoms; to analyze magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) results for the entorhinal cortex, parahippocampal gyrus, peri entorhinal cortex, and the cerebellar tentorium; and to perform a comprehensive neuropsychological and psychophysical assessment. The main results highlighted that in our sample-multidomain amnesic MCI patients with hyposmic symptomatology-we found that ERICA scores were associated with the severity of anxiety symptomatology. One possible hypothesis to explain this observation is that anxiety may contribute to neurodegenerative processes by inducing chronic stress and inflammation. Future research should consider the longitudinal development of neuropsychological scores, anxiety disorders, and brain atrophy to determine their potential predictive value for MCI progression. These findings suggest the importance of psychological factors in MCI progression and the utility of neuropsychological assessment alongside neuroimaging techniques for early detection and follow-up in MCI patients.
轻度认知障碍（MCI）是一个重大问题，因为它是阿尔茨海默病（AD）进展的一个风险因素，早期检测对于延缓痴呆症发病以及进行潜在的治疗干预至关重要。嗅觉障碍被认为是神经退行性过程中的一种预测性生物标志物。本研究的目的是探讨内嗅皮质萎缩程度（ERICA）和MCI症状的严重程度；分析内嗅皮质、海马旁回、内嗅皮质周围区域以及小脑幕的磁共振成像（MRI）结果；并进行全面的神经心理学和心理物理学评估。主要结果表明，在我们的样本——有嗅觉减退症状的多领域遗忘型MCI患者中——我们发现ERICA评分与焦虑症状的严重程度相关。解释这一观察结果的一个可能假说是，焦虑可能通过引发慢性应激和炎症而导致神经退行性过程。未来的研究应考虑神经心理学评分、焦虑症和脑萎缩的纵向发展，以确定它们对MCI进展的潜在预测价值。这些发现表明心理因素在MCI进展中的重要性，以及神经心理学评估与神经影像学技术一起用于MCI患者早期检测和随访的实用性。
