Exposure to low concentrations of copper impairs olfaction in fish. To determine the transcriptional changes in the olfactory epithelium induced by copper exposure, wild yellow perch (Perca flavescens) were exposed to 20 μg/L of copper for 3 and 24h. A novel yellow perch microarray with 1000 candidate genes was used to measure differential gene transcription in the olfactory epithelium. While t...

Intranasal exposure to the heavy metal cadmium has been linked to olfactory dysfunction and neurotoxicity. Here, we combine optical imaging of in vivo neurophysiology, genetically defined anatomical tract tracing, mass spectrometry, and behavioral psychophysical methods to evaluate the persistent harmful effects of acute intranasal exposure to cadmium in a mouse model and to investigate the fun...

Olfactory dysfunction is an important public health problem in the United States, with approximately 14 million elderly Americans having chronic olfactory impairment. We performed a genome-wide linkage scan for loci influencing susceptibility to hyposmia in the Hutterites, a founder population of European ancestry. Using interviews regarding the olfactory medical history and psychophysical smel...

Background Nonmotor symptoms are very common in neurodegenerative diseases. In patients suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), olfactory dysfunction was first reported more than 20 years ago; however, its pathophysiological correlates and further implications remain elusive. Methods In this so far largest case-control study, we analyzed olfactory performance with the "Sniffin' St...

Olfactory deficits and executive dysfunction are early and common symptoms in Parkinson's disease (PD). Previous studies have shown that hyposmia can be a first sign of PD. The aim of the present study was to determine which of three olfactory tests and two selected tests of executive function would be the best predictor of future PD over a 5 year period. In a cohort of 361 nonparkinsonian, non...

Evidence exists for the presence of a specific facial phenotype in nonaffected first-degree relatives of persons with CL/P. An increased risk for olfactory dysfunction has also been reported in CL/P-relatives. These phenotypic features can probably be explained via the presence of CL/P-related susceptibility genes. We aimed at confirming the occurrence of these endophenotypic traits in first-de...

INTRODUCTION Phantosmia is the qualitative disorder of olfaction characterized by the perception of odor, usually unpleasant, when there are no odorants present. It may be described as cacosmic (rotten, decayed, fecal), torquosmic (burned, metallic, chemical-like), or mixed. Phantosmia is a relatively uncommon disorder of olfaction and represents around 10% to 20% of olfactory disorders among t...

Decreased olfactory function is among the first signs of idiopathic Parkinson's disease (PD). Whether such dysfunction is present to the same degree on both sides of the nose, however, is unknown. Furthermore, whether the deficit results from or is influenced by anti-Parkinsonian medications has not been definitely established. Odour identification ability was evaluated on the left and right si...

Patients with idiopathic rapid eye movement sleep behaviour disorder (RBD) frequently develop Parkinson's disease and the majority present with hyposmia, which is a potential preclinical non-motor sign of Parkinson's disease. Accordingly, it has been proposed that the clinical symptoms of hyposmia and RBD in combination have to be considered as very early symptoms of Parkinson's disease. Since ...