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Olfactory cortex degeneration in Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment
Vasavada MM, Wang J, Eslinger PJ, Gill DJ, Sun X, Karunanayaka P, Yang QX.. Journal of Alzheimer's disease : JAD, 2015-01-01
Topic: Amyloid, tau and blood-test diagnosis
Background Olfactory deficits are prevalent in patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and mild cognitive impairment (MCI). These symptoms precede clinical onset of cognitive and memory deficits and coincide with AD pathology preferentially in the central olfactory structures, suggesting a potential biomarker for AD early detection and progression. Objective Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that structural degeneration of the primary olfactory cortex (POC) could be detected in AD as well as in MCI patients and would be correlated with olfactory functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) alterations, reflecting loss of olfactory cortex activity. Methods Total structural volumes and fMRI activation volumes of the POC and hippocampus were measured along with olfactory and cognitive behavioral tests in 27 cognitively normal (CN), 21 MCI, and 15 AD subjects. Results Prominent atrophy in the POC and hippocampus was found in both AD and MCI subjects and correlated with behavioral measurements. While behavioral and volumetric measurements showed a gradual decline from CN to MCI to AD, olfactory activation volume in the POC and hippocampus showed a steeper decline in the MCI group compared to corresponding tissue volume, resembling the AD group. Conclusions Decline in olfactory activity was correlated with the AD structural degeneration in the POC. A more prominent olfactory activity deficit than that of behavioral and tissue volume measurements was shown in the MCI stage. Olfactory fMRI may thus provide an earlier and more sensitive measure of functional neurodegeneration in AD and MCI patients.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Vasavada, M. M., Wang, J., Eslinger, P. J., Gill, D. J., Sun, X., Karunanayaka, P., et al. (2015). Olfactory cortex degeneration in Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment. Journal of Alzheimer's disease : JAD. https://doi.org/10.3233/jad-141947
Vancouver
Vasavada MM, Wang J, Eslinger PJ, Gill DJ, Sun X, Karunanayaka P, et al. Olfactory cortex degeneration in Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment. Journal of Alzheimer's disease : JAD. 2015. doi:10.3233/jad-141947. PMID: 25633674.
BibTeX
@article{vasavada2015-25633674,
author = {Vasavada, M. M. and Wang, J. and Eslinger, P. J. and Gill, D. J. and Sun, X. and Karunanayaka, P. and Yang, Q. X.},
title = {{Olfactory cortex degeneration in Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment}},
journal = {Journal of Alzheimer's disease : JAD},
year = {2015},
doi = {10.3233/jad-141947},
pmid = {25633674},
url = {https://doi.org/10.3233/jad-141947}
}
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. The record names 7 authors; APA and Vancouver show the first six, BibTeX and the downloads carry all of them. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
Key findings
- Results Prominent atrophy in the POC and hippocampus was found in both AD and MCI subjects and correlated with behavioral measurements.
- While behavioral and volumetric measurements showed a gradual decline from CN to MCI to AD, olfactory activation volume in the POC and hippocampus showed a steeper decline in the MCI group compared to corresponding tissue volume, resembling the AD group.
Why it matters
Atrophy in the primary olfactory cortex and hippocampus was found in both Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment and correlated with behavioral measures. Olfactory activation declined more steeply in mild cognitive impairment than tissue volume did, suggesting it may be a potential early biomarker, though this was a small study.
Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 41/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Journal of Alzheimer's disease : JAD) |
| Journal's citation record | 2 / 4 | Journal of Alzheimer s Disease: journal h-index 218 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 1 / 5 | 2015 — within 20 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 5 / 7 | Cited 143 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 11.0 citations a year over 13 year(s) since 2015 |
| Impact for its field and year | 3 / 6 | Cited 5.5× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 2 / 6 | Cited by 4 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 2 / 4 | Cited 42 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author Qing X. Yang: h-index 36 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | Pennsylvania State University: institution h-index 1,397 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 0 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 1 institution(s) in 1 country — scores zero (affiliation lists can be incomplete) |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 25633674) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 41 / 100 | — |
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