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Olfactory Function as a Potential Biomarker in Patients with Autism...
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Olfactory Function as a Potential Biomarker in Patients with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Parkinson’s Disease

A special issue of Brain Sciences (ISSN 2076-3425).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 May 2020) | Viewed by 10751

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Carla Masala

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Cagliari, SP 8 Cittadella Universitaria, 09042 Monserrato, Italy
Interests: olfactory function; gustatory function; neurodegenerative diseases; cognitive function; COVID-19; nutrition
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Paolo Solla

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Neurology, University of Sassari, Viale S. Pietro 10, 07100 Sassari, Italy
Interests: neurological disorders; Parkinson’s disease; Parkinsonism and related disorders
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Olfaction is a chemical sense that plays an important role in human life and regulates events such as food ingestion, emotional responses (e.g., pleasure, anxiety), social and reproductive behaviour. Consequently, subjects with olfactory disorders may present daily problems in personal hygiene, safety, sexual behaviour and, particularly, in food intake. The olfactory function decreases in relation to age. The assessment of olfactory function plays an important role in Autism Spectrum Disorder, considering that the neural correlates underlying odor functions partially overlap with the neural circuits impaired in individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder. An olfactory deficit is also considered one of the major non-motor symptoms in Parkinson’s Disease and has been well known since the last century. It usually precedes the appearance of clinical motor symptoms and is reported in over 96% of patients. The mechanisms underlying olfactory impairment in Autism Spectrum Disorder and in Parkinson’s Disease are still not clearly known.

The goal of this Special Issue is to discuss the use olfactory assessment as a potential biomarker in patients with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Parkinson’s Disease. Scientific contributions based on the use of multimodal assessment methods, including psychometric measures of olfactory function, neuroimaging techniques, and cognitive and neuropsychological testing are strongly encouraged.

Dr. Carla Masala
Dr. Paolo Solla
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Brain Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • olfaction
  • chemosensory system
  • Autism Spectrum Disorder
  • Parkinson’s Disease

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 4956 KiB  
Article
Characterizing Olfactory Function in Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Children with Sensory Processing Dysfunction
by Julia R. Sweigert, Tanya St. John, Kristin Kawena Begay, Greg E. Davis, Jeffrey Munson, Eric Shankland, Annette Estes, Stephen R. Dager and Natalia M. Kleinhans
Brain Sci. 2020, 10(6), 362; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci10060362 - 10 Jun 2020
Cited by 17 | Viewed by 7561
Abstract
Abnormalities in olfactory function have been identified in a number of neurological and psychiatric disorders, including Parkinson’s disease and schizophrenia. However, little is known about olfactory function in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The present study aims to assess the olfactory profiles of children [...] Read more.
Abnormalities in olfactory function have been identified in a number of neurological and psychiatric disorders, including Parkinson’s disease and schizophrenia. However, little is known about olfactory function in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The present study aims to assess the olfactory profiles of children with ASD, compared to an age- and sex-matched comparison group of typically developing children and a second clinical control group consisting of non-ASD children with sensory processing dysfunction (SPD). Participants completed a battery of sensory and behavioral assessments including olfactory tasks (Sniffin’ Sticks Threshold Test and self-reported valence ratings for two target odorants (phenylethyl alcohol and vanillin) and the University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test), and an autism evaluation (Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule-2). Children with ASD showed intact odor detection with reduced odor identification ability. Poor odor identification was significantly correlated with autism symptom severity. Children with SPD demonstrated reduced odor detection and identification ability. These findings provide evidence for differential patterns of smell processing among ASD and non-ASD neurodevelopmental disorders. Future studies are needed to determine whether the association of impaired olfaction and increased autism symptoms is due to shared etiology. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Olfactory Function as a Potential Biomarker in Patients with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Parkinson’s Disease)
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10 pages, 721 KiB  
Article
Effect of Olfactory and Gustatory Dysfunction and Motor Symptoms on Body Weight in Patients with Parkinson’s Disease
by Carla Masala, Francesco Loy, Raffaella Piras, Anna Liscia, Laura Fadda, Alan Moat, Paolo Solla and Giovanni Defazio
Brain Sci. 2020, 10(4), 218; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci10040218 - 7 Apr 2020
Cited by 14 | Viewed by 2685
Abstract
Background: Non-motor symptoms in Parkinson’s disease (PD) are often associated with a negative impact on the patients’ quality of life and on their weight regulation. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of olfactory and gustatory dysfunction, apathy, fatigue, depression, [...] Read more.
Background: Non-motor symptoms in Parkinson’s disease (PD) are often associated with a negative impact on the patients’ quality of life and on their weight regulation. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of olfactory and gustatory dysfunction, apathy, fatigue, depression, and motor symptoms on weight regulation in PD patients. Methods: We analyzed 112 participants, 63 PD patients (mean age ± SD: 69.2 ± 10.1), and 49 controls (mean age ± SD: 68 ± 9.6). For each participant we collected age, weight, height, BMI, olfactory and gustatory function, cognitive performance, apathy and fatigue. Results: Our data showed that 61.9% (n = 39) of PD patients had hyposmia, while 38.1% (n = 24) had anosmia. In PD patients, we observed a significant effect of Unified Parkinson’s Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS), apathy, odor threshold, sweet perception and fatigue on weight regulation. Instead, there was no significant effect for depression and levodopa equivalent daily dosage (LEDD). Conclusion: Our results suggest that PD non-motor symptoms such as olfactory/gustatory deficits and mood disorders may influence body weight. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Olfactory Function as a Potential Biomarker in Patients with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Parkinson’s Disease)
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