Measuring olfactory‐related brain region volume loss in MCI and AD using structural MRI

Background Alzheimer disease (AD) is a chronic disorder that affects millions of individuals worldwide. Olfactory dysfunction common symptom several neurological disorders including AD. can be an early alteration heralding the presence Studying pattern alterations in olfaction-related brain regions might help detection neurodegenerative diseases at earlier stage. Objectives this study are to assess volume olfactory areas associated with odour processing healthy elderly, MCI and AD populations using structural MRI scans. To test whether there any differences related between patients controls. determine effect sex on olfactory-related regions’ loss. Method Neurologically participants aged 66-85 (n = 95), 58-86 81) mild probable 55-88 37) were recruited. T1- weighted scans acquired 1.5T processed SPM12. Smoothed images used extract cortex, hippocampus, parahippocampus, amygdala, orbitofrontal cortex entorhinal cortex. Result One-way ANOVA analyses showed significant reduction all (p≤0.0001). Post-hoc multiple comparison tests group regions. In group, significantly smaller than controls was found four selected (namely, amygdala cortex) for total left female only. Additionally MCI, right however, also control group. When adjusting MMSE, no longer significant. Conclusion These preliminary data show grey matter Grey loss these appears good proxy severity.