Subtle Differences in Brain Architecture in Patients with Congenital Anosmia

Brain Topogr. 2022 May;35(3):337-340. doi: 10.1007/s10548-022-00895-z. Epub 2022 Mar 24.

Abstract

People suffering from congenital anosmia show normal brain architecture although they do not have functional sense of smell. Some studies in this regard point to the changes in secondary olfactory cortex, orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), in terms of gray matter volume increase. However, diffusion tensor imaging has not been explored so far. We included 13 congenital anosmia subjects together with 15 controls and looked into various diffusion parameters like FA. Increased FA in bilateral OFC confirms the earlier studies reporting increased gray matter thickness. However, it is quite difficult to interpret FA in terms of gray matter volume. Increased FA has been seen with recovery after traumatic brain injury. Such changes in OFC point to the plastic nature of the brain.

Keywords: Congenital anosmia; Diffusion tensor imaging; Orbitofrontal cortex; Plasticity.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Brain / diagnostic imaging
  • Diffusion Tensor Imaging*
  • Gray Matter / diagnostic imaging
  • Humans
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Olfaction Disorders* / congenital
  • Olfaction Disorders* / diagnostic imaging

Supplementary concepts

  • Congenital anosmia