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Gray matter and episodic memory associations with olfaction in middle-aged to older adults.
- Source :
-
International forum of allergy & rhinology [Int Forum Allergy Rhinol] 2024 May; Vol. 14 (5), pp. 961-971. Date of Electronic Publication: 2023 Oct 28. - Publication Year :
- 2024
-
Abstract
- Background: Age-related declines in olfaction contribute to low quality of life and appear to occur with declines in cognitive function, including diminished episodic memory. We tested the hypothesis that low gray matter volume within cortical regions that support olfaction and episodic memory can explain age-related differences in olfactory and episodic memory functions.<br />Methods: T1-weighted images, Sniffin' Sticks olfactory measures, and the NIH Toolbox-Cognition Battery were administered to 131 middle-aged to older adults (50-86 years; 66% female). Correlation was used to examine the associations between these measures. A network-based image processing approach was then used to examine the degree to which spatial patterns of gray matter variance were related to the olfactory and cognitive measures. Structural equation modeling was used to characterize the relative specificity of olfactory, cognitive, gray matter, and aging associations.<br />Results: Olfactory threshold, discrimination, and identification exhibited small to medium effect size associations with episodic memory performance (rs = 0.27-0.42, ps < 0.002). Gray matter volume within medial temporal and orbitofrontal cortex was also related to olfactory (discrimination and identification) and episodic memory function (rs = 0.21-0.36, ps < 0.019). Age and episodic memory explained the same variance in olfaction that was explained by the medial temporal and orbitofrontal pattern of gray matter volume.<br />Conclusions: The results of this cross-sectional study suggest that identifying mechanisms contributing to differences in medial temporal and orbitofrontal cortex will advance our understanding of co-morbid olfactory and cognitive declines.<br /> (© 2023 ARSâAAOA, LLC.)
- Subjects :
- Humans
Aged
Female
Middle Aged
Male
Aged, 80 and over
Cognition physiology
Olfaction Disorders physiopathology
Olfaction Disorders diagnostic imaging
Memory, Episodic
Gray Matter diagnostic imaging
Gray Matter pathology
Smell physiology
Aging physiology
Aging pathology
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 2042-6984
- Volume :
- 14
- Issue :
- 5
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- International forum of allergy & rhinology
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 37897207
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1002/alr.23290