About this Research Topic
Olfactory dysfunction has been associated with multiple neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD), dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), frontotemporal dementia (FTD), mild cognitive impairment (MCI), Parkinson’s disease (PD), and Huntington’s disease. Since several neurological disorders are associated with olfactory dysfunction, it is important to understand the mechanisms underlying such a correlation and to determine the causality between the two.
Studies have shown that patients affected by Parkinson’s disease, sporadic Alzheimer’s disease, and vascular Dementia score up to 55% less in the University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test (UPSIT) score compared to controls. Although several studies have shown the importance of using olfactory function as a biomarker, there are only a few reports investigating the cellular and circuit mechanisms behind such dysfunction. Familial AD mutations in Amyloid Precursor Protein have been shown to cause olfactory receptor neuronal death and hence can be a plausible cause of olfactory dysfunction. Furthermore, atrophy of cholinergic pathways in the olfactory circuit has been associated with many of such neurological disorders indicating a common mechanism. Although a few studies provide some mechanistic insights, the causal link between olfactory dysfunction and neurodegenerative disorders is largely unknown. We believe that research related to this Research Topic would be an important contribution toward addressing the caveat.
Since little is known about how olfactory dysfunction occurs during various neurodegenerative disorders, we would like this Research Topic to focus on the various mechanistic details that can govern such pathophysiological changes. We would welcome the submission of articles, reports, mini-reviews, and reviews to support the research topic, focused but not limited to the following subtopics:
- Olfactory function as a biomarker of neurodegeneration.
- Cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying olfactory dysfunction in neurodegeneration.
- Electrical abnormalities leading to an olfactory deficit in neurodegenerative diseases.
- Olfactory deficits as prodromal symptoms of neurodegenerative diseases
- Behavioral manifestations due to olfactory dysfunction
- Genetic basis of olfactory dysfunction in neurodegeneration
- Olfaction, cognition, and psychiatric function
- Olfactory dysfunction and COVID-19
Studies have shown that patients affected by Parkinson’s disease, sporadic Alzheimer’s disease, and vascular Dementia score up to 55% less in the University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test (UPSIT) score compared to controls. Although several studies have shown the importance of using olfactory function as a biomarker, there are only a few reports investigating the cellular and circuit mechanisms behind such dysfunction. Familial AD mutations in Amyloid Precursor Protein have been shown to cause olfactory receptor neuronal death and hence can be a plausible cause of olfactory dysfunction. Furthermore, atrophy of cholinergic pathways in the olfactory circuit has been associated with many of such neurological disorders indicating a common mechanism. Although a few studies provide some mechanistic insights, the causal link between olfactory dysfunction and neurodegenerative disorders is largely unknown. We believe that research related to this Research Topic would be an important contribution toward addressing the caveat.
Since little is known about how olfactory dysfunction occurs during various neurodegenerative disorders, we would like this Research Topic to focus on the various mechanistic details that can govern such pathophysiological changes. We would welcome the submission of articles, reports, mini-reviews, and reviews to support the research topic, focused but not limited to the following subtopics:
- Olfactory function as a biomarker of neurodegeneration.
- Cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying olfactory dysfunction in neurodegeneration.
- Electrical abnormalities leading to an olfactory deficit in neurodegenerative diseases.
- Olfactory deficits as prodromal symptoms of neurodegenerative diseases
- Behavioral manifestations due to olfactory dysfunction
- Genetic basis of olfactory dysfunction in neurodegeneration
- Olfaction, cognition, and psychiatric function
- Olfactory dysfunction and COVID-19
Keywords: COVID-19, Olfaction, Neurodegenerative disorders, Diagnostic markers, Molecular cellular and circuit dysfunction., olfactory dysfunction
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
