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Chem Senses 2019 Jan 18. Epub 2019 Jan 18.

Department of Neurobiology and Anatomy, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.

Understanding how sensory space maps to neural activity in the olfactory system requires efficiently and flexibly delivering numerous odorants within single experimental preparations. Such delivery is difficult with current olfactometer designs, which typically include limited numbers of stimulus channels and are subject to inter-trial and inter-channel contamination of odorants. Here, we present a novel olfactometer design that is easily constructed, modular, and capable of delivering an unlimited number of odorants in air with temporal precision and no detectable inter-trial or inter-channel contamination. Read More

J Chem Neuroanat 2019 Jan 10;96:126-133. Epub 2019 Jan 10.

Applied Biophotonics Research Center, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran. Electronic address:

The generation of dopaminergic neurons from stem cells is a potential therapeutic approach to treat neurodegenerative disorders, such as Parkinson's disease. The current study aims to investigate the potential of two different types of mesenchymal stem cells derived from human Wharton's jelly and nasal cavity for differentiation into dopaminergic neurons. The differentiation capacities of both cell types were evaluated using real-time PCR, immunocytochemistry, flow cytometry and HPLC. Read More

Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2019 Jan 7. Epub 2019 Jan 7.

Department of Anatomy, Physiology, and Pharmacology, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama.

The colonial naked mole rat Heterocephalus glaber is a subterranean, eusocial rodent. The H. glaber vomeronasal organ neuroepithelium (VNE) displays little postnatal growth. Read More

Glia 2018 Dec 26. Epub 2018 Dec 26.

Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia.

The central nervous system (CNS) is considered to be immune privileged, owing in part to the absence of major histocompatibility (MHC) class II cells in the healthy brain parenchyma. However, systemic inflammation can activate microglia to express MHC class II, suggesting that systemic inflammation may be sufficient to mature microglia into functional antigen presenting cells (APCs). We examined the effects of systemic lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation on the phenotype and function of putative APCs within the mouse brain parenchyma, as well as its supporting tissues-the choroid plexus and meninges. Read More

Histol Histopathol 2018 Dec 12:18073. Epub 2018 Dec 12.

Clinical and Experimental Neuroscience Group (NiCE-IMIB), Department of Human Anatomy and Psychobiology, Institute for Aging Research, School of Medicine, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain.

After Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease (PD) is the second most prevalent and incidental neurodegenerative disorder, affecting more than 2% of the population older than 65 years old. Since it was first described 200 years ago by Dr James Parkinson, great steps have been made in the understanding of the pathology. However, the cause(s) that initiates and perpetuates the neurodegenerative process is (are) still not clear. Read More

Braz J Phys Ther 2018 Nov 8. Epub 2018 Nov 8.

Faculty of Health, Psychology and Social Care, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, Birley Campus, Manchester, United Kingdom.

Background: Central sensitisation pain is a predominant mechanism in a proportion of individuals with non-specific chronic low back pain and is associated with poor outcomes. It is proposed that the pre-morbid experiences and contexts may be related to the development of central sensitisation.

Objectives: The objective of this study was to explore the pre-morbid experiences and personal characteristics of participants with central sensitisation pain from a non-specific chronic low back pain population. Read More

Dev Comp Immunol 2019 Mar 1;92:212-222. Epub 2018 Dec 1.

University of New Mexico, Department of Biology, Center for Evolutionary and Theoretical Immunology (CETI), Albuquerque, NM, USA.

The human olfactory system is a mucosal surface and a major portal of entry for respiratory and neurotropic pathogens into the body. Understanding how the human nasopharynx-associated lymphoid tissue (NALT) halts the progression of pathogens into the lower respiratory tract or the central nervous system is key for developing effective cures. Although traditionally mice have been used as the gold-standard model for the study of human nasal diseases, mouse models present important caveats due to major anatomical and functional differences of the human and murine olfactory system and NALT. Read More

Acta Histochem 2018 Nov 26. Epub 2018 Nov 26.

Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Science, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand; Faculty of Allied Health Science, Burapha University, Chonburi 20131, Thailand.

The mud crab, Scylla olivacea, is a high value economic marine animal in Thailand. However, collection of these crabs from natural habitat for local consumption and export has caused rapid population decline. Hence, aquaculture of this species is required and to this measure understanding of endocrine control of their reproduction must be understood. Read More

J Neurotrauma 2019 Jan 10. Epub 2019 Jan 10.

Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, School of Medicine, Virginia Commonwealth University Medical Center, Richmond, Virgina.

Olfactory receptor axons reinnervate the olfactory bulb (OB) after chemical or transection lesion. Diffuse brain injury damages the same axons, but the time course and regulators of OB reinnervation are unknown. Gelatinases (matrix metalloproteinase [MMP]2, MMP9) and their substrate osteopontin (OPN) are candidate mediators of synaptogenesis after central nervous system (CNS) insult, including olfactory axon damage. Read More

Acta Histochem 2019 Jan 12;121(1):94-100. Epub 2018 Nov 12.

Department of Biosciences and Territory, University of Molise, Contrada Fonte Lappone, 86090 Pesche, Isernia, Italy. Electronic address:

The vomeronasal system (VNS) is an accessory olfactory structure present in most mammals adhibited to the detection of specific chemosignals implied in social and reproductive behavior. The VNS comprises the vomeronasal organ (VNO), vomeronasal nerve and accessory olfactory bulb. VNO is characterized by a neuroepithelium constituted by bipolar neurons and supporting and stem/progenitor cells. Read More

Medicine (Baltimore) 2018 Nov;97(44):e13098

Department of Neurosurgery, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan PR China.

Rationale: Central nervous system (CNS) solid cavernous hemangiomas are rare extra-axial anomalies that may sometimes resemble meningiomas. Due to their complex vascular nature, accurate preoperative diagnosis is important to avoid disastrous hemorrhage during operation. To the best of our knowledge this is the first case in an adolescent since all middle cranial fossa hemangioma cases reported in literature are adults in their 40s or 50s and all the pediatric cases are cystic. Read More

Nat Commun 2018 10 26;9(1):4463. Epub 2018 Oct 26.

Department of Applied Biological Chemistry, Graduate School of Agricultural and Life Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, 113-8657, Japan.

Mating drive is balanced by a need to safeguard resources for offspring, yet the neural basis for negative regulation of mating remains poorly understood. In rodents, pheromones critically regulate sexual behavior. Here, we observe suppression of adult female sexual behavior in mice by exocrine gland-secreting peptide 22 (ESP22), a lacrimal protein from juvenile mice. Read More

Nat Commun 2018 10 15;9(1):4269. Epub 2018 Oct 15.

Institute for Microbiology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, D-30173, Hannover, Germany.

Bacterial infections of the central nervous system (CNS) remain a major cause of mortality in the neonatal population. Commonly used parenteral infection models, however, do not reflect the early course of the disease leaving this critical step of the pathogenesis largely unexplored. Here, we analyzed nasal exposure of 1-day-old newborn mice to Listeria monocytogenes (Lm). Read More

J Vet Med Sci 2018 Nov 11;80(11):1724-1727. Epub 2018 Oct 11.

Veterinary Medical Center, Osaka Prefecture University, 1-58 Rinku Ourai Kita, Izumisano-shi, Osaka 598-8531, Japan.

Canine nasal carcinomas are often treated with radiotherapy. Presence of lysis of the cribriform plate by tumor invasion (stage 4 by modified Adams's staging system) is a well-known prognostic factor. In this study, dogs with stage 4 disease were divided into two subgroups based on the presence or absence of midline shift of the olfactory or frontal lobes of the brain (Stage 4a: without presence of midline shift. Read More

Int J Environ Res Public Health 2018 10 8;15(10). Epub 2018 Oct 8.

Department of Anatomy, Howard University College of Medicine, 520 W Street, NW, Washington, DC 20059, USA.

A major step in our understanding of brain function is to determine how neural circuits are altered in their function by signaling molecules or neuromodulators. Neuromodulation is the neurochemical process that modifies the computations performed by a neuron or network based on changing the functional needs or behavioral state of the subject. These modulations have the effect of altering the responsivity to synaptic inputs. Read More

Front Aging Neurosci 2018 13;10:272. Epub 2018 Sep 13.

Department of Psychology, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Milan, Italy.

Olfactory impairment is present in up to 90% of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and is present in certain cases of mild cognitive impairment (MCI), a transient phase between normal aging and dementia. Subjects affected by MCI have a higher risk of developing dementia compared to the general population, and studies have found that olfactory deficits could be an indicator of whether such a conversion might happen. Following these assumptions, aim of this study was to investigate olfactory perception in MCI patients. Read More

J Anat 2018 Dec 25;233(6):814-827. Epub 2018 Sep 25.

Faculty of Veterinary, Department of Anatomy, Animal Production and Clinical Veterinary Sciences, University of Santiago de Compostela, Lugo, Spain.

The characterization of the rabbit mammary pheromone, which is sensed by the main olfactory system, has made this species a unique model for the study of pheromonal communication in mammals. This discovery has brought attention to the global understanding of chemosensory communication in this species. Chemocommunication is mediated by two distinct organs located in the nasal cavity, the main olfactory epithelium and the vomeronasal organ (VNO). Read More

Front Neuroanat 2018 29;12:71. Epub 2018 Aug 29.

Guangdong Engineering Research Center for Insect Behavior Regulation, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China.

The oriental fruit fly, is one of the most destructive pests of horticultural crops in tropical and subtropical Asia. The insect relies heavily on its olfactory system to select suitable hosts for development and reproduction. To understand the neural basis of its odor-driven behaviors, it is fundamental to characterize the anatomy of its olfactory system. Read More

J Bioenerg Biomembr 2018 Aug 31. Epub 2018 Aug 31.

Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, University of Tennessee Health Science Center, Memphis, TN, 38134, USA.

Experiences, such as sensory learning, are known to induce plasticity in mammalian sensory systems. In recent years aversive olfactory learning-induced plasticity has been identified at all stages of the adult olfactory pathway; however, the underlying mechanisms have yet to be identified. Much of the work regarding mechanisms of olfactory associative learning comes from neonates, a time point before which the brain or olfactory system is fully developed. Read More

Cureus 2018 Jun 22;10(6):e2859. Epub 2018 Jun 22.

Medicine, Medical University, Varna, BGR.

Samuel Thomas von Sömmerring (January 28, 1755, Thorn, then Royal Prussia, now Torun Poland - March 2, 1830, Frankfurt am Main, then a free city, now Germany) was one of the most respected Germanic scientists of his time. Whilst working on his philosophy doctorate (Ph.D. Read More

Genesis 2018 06;56(6-7):e23215

Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, CB2 3DY, United Kingdom.

The neural crest-derived ensheathing glial cells of the olfactory nerve (OECs) are unique in spanning both the peripheral and central nervous systems: they ensheathe bundles of axons projecting from olfactory receptor neurons in the nasal epithelium to their targets in the olfactory bulb. OECs are clinically relevant as a promising autologous cell transplantation therapy for promoting central nervous system repair. They are also important for fertility, being required for the migration of embryonic gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) neurons from the olfactory placode along terminal nerve axons to the medial forebrain, which they enter caudal to the olfactory bulbs. Read More

Mol Med Rep 2018 Nov 21;18(5):4185-4196. Epub 2018 Aug 21.

Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Zhongshan School of Medicine, Sun Yat‑sen University, Guangzhou, Guangdong 510080, P.R. China.

Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most common type of malignant tumor of the central nervous system. The prognosis of patients with GBM is very poor, with a survival time of ~15 months. GBM is highly heterogeneous and highly aggressive. Read More

Nature 2018 08 15;560(7719):447-452. Epub 2018 Aug 15.

Laboratory of Neurophysiology and Behavior, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA.

The olfactory system must recognize and discriminate amongst an enormous variety of chemicals in the environment. To contend with such diversity, insects have evolved a family of odorant-gated ion channels comprised of a highly conserved co-receptor (Orco) and a divergent odorant receptor (OR) that confers chemical specificity. Here, we present the single-particle cryo-electron microscopy structure of an Orco homomer from the parasitic fig wasp Apocrypta bakeri at 3. Read More

Parkinsonism Relat Disord 2018 Dec 6;57:68-71. Epub 2018 Aug 6.

Department of Anatomy, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, 3351 Boulevard des Forges, Trois-Rivières, G9A 5H7, Québec, Canada; Research Center, Hôpital du Sacré-Coeur, 5400 Boulevard Gouin Ouest, Montréal, H4J 1C5, Québec, Canada. Electronic address:

Patients with Parkinson's Disease (PD) exhibit a considerably diminished sense of smell. The olfactory system is intimately connected to the trigeminal system, responsible for the perception of sensations such as freshness, warmth or piquancy in odorants. Usually, olfactory impairment is associated with a similar reduction of trigeminal sensitivity. Read More

Laryngoscope 2018 Nov 10;128(11):2473-2477. Epub 2018 Aug 10.

Department of Neurosurgery, Wexner Medical Center at The Ohio State University, Columbus, Ohio, U.S.A.

Objectives/hypothesis: Define the anatomic distribution of the olfactory filaments within specific mucosal regions of the nasal cavity.

Study Design: Cadaveric study.

Methods: Seventeen cadaveric specimens (34 sides) were dissected to study the anatomical distribution and density of olfactory fila within different regions of the nasal cavity. Read More

Results Probl Cell Differ 2018 ;65:585-598

Department of Biology, University of Napoli Federico II, Napoli, Italy.

Octopus vulgaris underwent a radical modification to cope with the benthic lifestyle. It diverged from other cephalopods in terms of body plan, anatomy, behavior, and intelligence. It independently evolved the largest and most complex nervous system and sophisticated behaviors among invertebrates in a separate evolutionary lineage. Read More

J Comp Neurol 2018 Nov 18;526(16):2548-2569. Epub 2018 Oct 18.

Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, School of Anatomical Sciences, Republic of South Africa.

This study employed a range of neuroanatomical stains to determine the organization of the main and accessory olfactory systems within the brain of the tree pangolin. The tree pangolin has a typically mammalian olfactory system, but minor variations were observed. The main olfactory system is comprised of the layered main olfactory bulb (MOB), the anterior olfactory nucleus (AON), the rostral olfactory cortex (including the taenia tecta, anterior hippocampal continuation and induseum griseum), the olfactory tubercle (Tu), the lateral olfactory tract (lot) and the olfactory limb of the anterior commissure, the nucleus of the lateral olfactory tract (NLOT), the piriform cortex (PIR) and a typically mammalian rostral migratory stream (RMS). Read More

Chem Senses 2018 Sep;43(8):611-616

Department of Anatomy, Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières, 3351 Boul. des Forges, Trois-Rivières, Québec, Canada.

The olfactory and trigeminal systems are intimately connected as most odorants stimulate both sensory systems. They interact by mutually suppressing and enhancing each other. However, the location and the degree of their interaction remain unclear. Read More

Cureus 2018 May 17;10(5):e2643. Epub 2018 May 17.

Consultant Otolaryngologist, North Devon, Uk.

The vomeronasal organ (VNO) is a structure located in the anteroinferior portion of the nasal septum and is part of the accessory olfactory system. The VNO, together with its associated structures, has been shown to play a role in the formation of social and sexual behavior in animals, thanks to its pheromone receptor cells and the stimulating effect on the secretion of gonadotropin-releasing hormone. The VNO was first described as a structure by the Dutch botanist and anatomist Frederik Ruysch in 1703 while dissecting a young male cadaver. Read More

Zhonghua Er Bi Yan Hou Tou Jing Wai Ke Za Zhi 2018 Jul;53(7):550-554

Department of Otorhinolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, the Naval Medical University Affiliated Chang Zheng Hospital, Shanghai 200003, China.

As a sensor of the olfactory system, olfactory epithelium plays an important role in the olfactory system. In addition, olfactory epithelium is the only neuroepithelial epithelium in mammals that can maintain its self-renewal all along. There are of great significance in researching regenerating and repairing neural tissues, transplanting and treatment neural stem cells as well as the occurrence of olfactory disorders and intervention. Read More

J Mol Neurosci 2018 Aug 20;65(4):411-419. Epub 2018 Jul 20.

Department of Neurosurgery, Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, 110004, People's Republic of China.

FEZ family zinc finger 1 (FEZF1) is an essential transcription factor during olfactory development. In gastrointestinal tumors, FEZF1 plays an oncogenic role through DNA demethylation. However, the role of FEZF1 in the prognosis of human glioma prognosis remains unclear. Read More

Neuropeptides 2018 Oct 14;71:1-10. Epub 2018 Jun 14.

Department of Zoology, Savitribai Phule Pune University, Ganeshkhind, Pune 411 007, India. Electronic address:

The central control of feeding in animals depends upon the alternating actions of orexigenic and anorectic peptides. Studies at understanding the food intake mechanisms have emphasised the role of Neuropeptide Y as a potent orexigenic peptide in the brain. The aim of this study is to investigate the response of NPY system to positive and negative energy states and elucidate a holistic response of NPY expression throughout the brain of a tadpole model. Read More

Exp Brain Res 2018 Oct 17;236(10):2739-2750. Epub 2018 Jul 17.

Center for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Henry Jackson Foundation, Bethesda, MD, USA.

Dizziness, postural instability, and ataxia are among the most debilitating symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS), reflecting, in large part, dysfunctional integration of visual, somatosensory, and vestibular sensory cues. However, the role of MS-related supratentorial lesions in producing such symptoms is poorly understood. In this study, motor control test (MCT) and dynamic sensory organization test (SOT) scores of 58 MS patients were compared to those of 72 healthy controls; correlations were determined between the MS scores of 49 patients and lesion volumes within 26 brain regions. Read More

Front Vet Sci 2018 2;5:127. Epub 2018 Jul 2.

Auburn University MRI Research Center, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, United States.

Prior functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) studies have indicated increased neural activation when zinc nanoparticles are added to odorants in canines. Here we demonstrate that zinc nanoparticles up-regulate directional brain connectivity in parts of the canine olfactory network. This provides an explanation for previously reported enhancement in the odor detection capability of the dogs in the presence of zinc nanoparticles. Read More

Respir Physiol Neurobiol 2019 Jan 10;259:37-44. Epub 2018 Jul 10.

Department Rehabilitation, Cardiorespiratory Rehabilitation Unit, ASL Lecce, "Vito Fazzi" Hospital, 73016 S. Cesario di Lecce (Le), Italy. Electronic address:

Obstructive Sleep Apnea Syndrome (OSA) is characterized by snoring associated with repeated apnea and/or obstructive hypopnea. The nasal airways of OSA patients, measured via acoustic rhinometry, could be significantly narrower than healthy subjects and this reduced nasal structure can impair olfactory function. The relationship between nasal structure and olfactory function, assessed via behavioral test results, indicates that there is a high prevalence of nasal airflow problems. Read More

Acta Histochem 2018 Aug 9;120(6):566-571. Epub 2018 Jul 9.

Laboratory of Theriogenology, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan.

Olfaction is mediated by the vomeronasal and main olfactory systems, and the peripheral vomeronasal organ (VNO) processes species-specific chemicals that are associated with various behaviors in mammals. Sensory epithelial surfaces of the olfactory mucosa and VNO are covered by mucosal fluid that contains secretory products derived from associated glands, and glycoconjugates in the mucosal fluid are involved in odorant reception. The VNO of brown bears contains two types of glands; submucosal vomeronasal glands (VNG) and multicellular intraepithelial glands (MIG). Read More

Medicine (Baltimore) 2018 Jul;97(28):e11527

Department of Pathology, First Affiliated Hospital and College of Basic Medical Sciences of China Medical University.

Rationale: Primary intracranial immature teratoma accounts for majority of congenital central nervous system germ-cell tumors, but it is extremely rare in patients older than 15 years.

Patient Concerns: A 27-year-old woman was referred to our hospital for headache, nasal congestion, and decreased olfactory sensation. Imaging showed a mass measuring approximately 5 cm × 4 cm in the right frontal lobe, which also filled the right nasal cavity. Read More

J Vis Exp 2018 06 13(136). Epub 2018 Jun 13.

Department of Biology, Duke University;

The olfactory system of Drosophila is a widely used system in developmental neurobiology, systems neuroscience, as well as neurophysiology, behavior, and behavioral evolution. Drosophila olfactory tissues house the olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs) that detect volatile chemical cues in addition to hydro- and thermo-sensory neurons. In this protocol, we describe the dissection of developing peripheral olfactory tissue of the adult Drosophila species. Read More

Vet Radiol Ultrasound 2018 Nov 5;59(6):705-714. Epub 2018 Jul 5.

Southern Counties Veterinary Specialist, Hangersley, UK.

Despite the increasing interest in the clinical neurology of birds, little is known about the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) appearance of the avian central nervous system, eye, and inner ear. The objective of this cadaveric study was to document the MRI anatomic features of the aforementioned structures using a high-resolution 3.0 Tesla MRI system. Read More

Medicine (Baltimore) 2018 Jun;97(24):e10932

Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Kyorin University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.

Rationale: Paraneoplastic limbic encephalitis (PLE) is a rare disorder of the nervous system associated with malignant disease. It has a subacute onset with the following symptoms: cognitive dysfunction, seizures, irritability, hallucinations, and short-term memory loss. Herein, we report the case of a 35-year-old man with PLE, an olfactory neuroblastoma (ONB) admixed with craniopharyngioma, and serum anti-Hu antibodies. Read More

Methods Mol Biol 2018 ;1820:21-31

Neuroscience Division, Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200025, China.

Olfaction is the primary sense used by most animals to perceive the external world. The mouse olfactory system is composed of several sensory structures, the largest of which is the main olfactory epithelium (MOE). Olfactory sensory neurons (OSNs) located within the MOE detect odors and pheromones using dedicated seven-transmembrane G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs). Read More

Eur J Neurosci 2018 Jun 8. Epub 2018 Jun 8.

Institute for Neuroscience and Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Washington, District of Columbia.

The organization and function of sensory systems, especially the mammalian visual system, has been the focus of philosophers and scientists for centuries-from Descartes and Newton onward. Nevertheless, the utility of understanding development and its genetic foundations for deeper insight into neural function has been debated: Do you need to know how something is assembled-a car, for example-to understand how it works or how to use it-to turn on the ignition and drive? This review addresses this issue for sensory pathways. The pioneering work of the late Rainer W. Read More

Front Neuroanat 2018 8;12:32. Epub 2018 May 8.

Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, United States.

The degree to which molecular and morphological loss of function occurs synchronously during the vestigialization of traits is not well understood. The mammalian vomeronasal system, a sense critical for mediating many social and reproductive behaviors, is highly conserved across mammals. New World Leaf-nosed bats (Phyllostomidae) are under strong selection to maintain a functional vomeronasal system such that most phyllostomids possess a distinct vomeronasal organ and an intact TRPC2, a gene encoding a protein primarily involved in vomeronasal sensory neuron signal transduction. Read More

Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol 2018 Jul 17;110:135-139. Epub 2018 May 17.

Department of Otolaryngology, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, CO, United States; Department of Pediatric Otolaryngology, Children's Hospital Colorado, Aurora, CO, United States. Electronic address:

Introduction: Little is known about the etiology of olfactory dysfunction in the pediatric population. The aim of this study is to characterize the etiology and clinical features of anosmia and to explore evaluation options in a pediatric population.

Methods: Olfactory dysfunction was identified at a tertiary pediatric hospital between January 2003 and October 2014 using a text-based and ICD-9 search of the electronic health record system. Read More

Morphologie 2018 Jun 30;102(337):111-121. Epub 2018 May 30.

Laboratoire d'Anatomie, Biomécanique et Organogenèse (Dir : Prof. S. Louryan), faculté de médecine, université Libre de Bruxelles, route de Lennik, 808 (CP 619), B1070 Bruxelles, Belgique.

Some authors propose a global approach, including imaging, to describe cranial nerves from a clinical point of view. If we can agree to a certain extent with this proposal, we consider that the use of a medical point of view can neglect histological and embryological features which contribute to a better understanding of nerve function. For example, it is false to consider totally "nerves" I and II as "sensory cranial nerves". Read More

Dev Biol 2018 09 24;441(1):1-3. Epub 2018 May 24.

Centre for Prions and Protein Folding Diseases, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada T6G 2M8; Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada T6G 2E9; Department of Medical Genetics, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada T6G 2H7. Electronic address:

Normally folded prion protein is abundant in the CNS and remarkably conserved, suggesting that it has important functions, yet these functions have remained elusive. Now the work of Parrie et al. has codified a requirement for prion protein in adult neurogenesis. Read More

BMC Genomics 2018 May 23;19(1):383. Epub 2018 May 23.

Institute of Genetics, University at Cologne, Zülpicher Str. 47A, 50674, Cologne, Germany.

Background: The sense of smell is unrivaled in terms of molecular complexity of its input channels. Even zebrafish, a model vertebrate system in many research fields including olfaction, possesses several hundred different olfactory receptor genes, organized in four different gene families. For one of these families, the initially discovered odorant receptors proper, segregation of expression into distinct spatial subdomains within a common sensory surface has been observed both in teleost fish and in mammals. Read More

Curr Biol 2018 Jun 17;28(11):1783-1793.e4. Epub 2018 May 17.

Genes and Dynamics of Memory Systems, Brain Plasticity Unit, CNRS, ESPCI Paris, PSL Research University, 10 rue Vauquelin, 75005 Paris, France. Electronic address:

Memory consolidation is a crucial step for long-term memory (LTM) storage. However, we still lack a clear picture of how memory consolidation is regulated at the neuronal circuit level. Here, we took advantage of the well-described anatomy of the Drosophila olfactory memory center, the mushroom body (MB), to address this question in the context of appetitive LTM. Read More

Eur J Neurosci 2018 Jun;47(11):1385-1400

Addiction Research Group, Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, Canada.

Chronic or acute exposure to delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the main psychoactive compound in cannabis, has been associated with numerous neuropsychiatric side-effects, including dysregulation of emotional processing and associative memory formation. Clinical and preclinical evidence suggests that the effects of THC are due to the ability to modulate mesolimbic dopamine (DA) activity states in the nucleus accumbens (NAc) and ventral tegmental area (VTA). Nevertheless, the mechanisms by which THC modulates mesolimbic DA function and emotional processing are not well understood. Read More

J Vet Med Sci 2018 Jul 11;80(7):1054-1060. Epub 2018 May 11.

Laboratory of Veterinary Ethology, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan.

Wild animals typically exhibit defensive behaviors in response to a wider range and/or a weaker intensity of stimuli compared with domestic animals. However, little is known about the neural mechanisms underlying "wariness" in wild animals. Wild rats are one of the most accessible wild animals for experimental research. Read More