Autonomic Function and Non-Motor Symptoms in Primary Chronic Autonomic Failure Disorders

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

Autonomic Function and Non-Motor Symptoms in Primary Chronic Autonomic Failure Disorders Autonomic function and non-motor symptoms in primary chronic autonomic failure disorders Ekawat Vichayanrat Department of Medicine, Imperial College London Thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy 2013 1 Copyright Declaration The copyright of this thesis rests with the author and is made available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives licence. Researchers are free to copy, distribute or transmit the thesis on the condition that they attribute it, that they do not use it for commercial purposes and that they do not alter, transform or build upon it. For any reuse or redistribution, researchers must make clear to others the licence terms of this work. Declaration of originality I declare that all studies presented in this thesis are my own work which were undertaken during my studies at Imperial College London and have never been submitted for any other degree or professional qualification. Apart from described below, all data were prospectively collected and analysed by myself. Any information or details from previous works that were conducted by others have been explicitly acknowledged. Cardiovascular autonomic function data were recorded by clinical autonomic scientists as part of routine clinical tests at the Autonomic Unit, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery (NHNN) or the Neurovascular Autonomic Unit, St Marys Hospital. These data was then reduced and used to analyse various quantitative cardiovascular autonomic function measures in Chapter 4.1.1 (Quantitative cardiovascular autonomic function in patients with chronic autonomic failure), Chapter 4.1.3 (Pressor tests in MSA, Parkinson’s disease with and without autonomic failure), Chapter 4.1.4 24 hour-Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring (24 hr-ABPM) in MSA, Parkinson’s disease with and without autonomic failure and its efficacy to detect orthostatic hypotension using diary) and Chapter 6 (Initial symptoms and clinical characteristics in Pure Autonomic Failure). 2 Abstract The autonomic nervous system innervates and influences every organ in the body through two major efferent pathways; the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. Autonomic dysfunction, especially orthostatic hypotension (OH) and olfactory dysfunction, are commonly present in a variety of neurological disorders, particularly, multiple system atrophy (MSA) and allied disorders, such as Parkinson’s disease (PD) and Pure Autonomic Failure (PAF) and can significantly impact quality of life and cause significant morbidity. Similarly, non-motor symptoms have been increasingly recognized in PD. The overlapping autonomic features of PD, PAF and MSA, e.g., OH, can sometimes make it difficult to differentiate a diagnosis between these conditions. The further evaluation of autonomic function, e.g., cardiovascular, olfactory and gastrointestinal function, in patients with primary chronic autonomic failure disorders could offer better diagnostic accuracy, improve the understanding of disease progression and inform the development of treatments. Cardiovascular autonomic function screening tests are commonly used to confirm a diagnosis of autonomic failure, e.g., orthostatic hypotension, but OH is not often reliable for distinguishing between PD and MSA. Novel indices of cardiovascular autonomic function in patients with chronic autonomic failure have therefore been evaluated as well as the severity of olfactory dysfunction and other non-motor (e.g., daily activities and depression) symptoms in MSA, PD and PAF. Results demonstrated that baroreflex sensitivity and blood pressure recovery time (BRPT) in response to the Valsalva Manoeuvre are useful for differentiating MSA from PD with autonomic failure (PD+AF). BPRT was also significantly prolonged in PD patients compared to healthy controls. In addition, an association of BPRT and disease duration in PD also suggests that this index may be useful for monitoring disease progression in PD. Other findings indicated that assessing olfactory function is also helpful for distinguishing between PD, MSA and PAF. A greater degree of depression and impairment of daily activities in MSA relative to PD and PAF were also evident. In order to further investigate the presenting symptoms and features of PAF, a time when diagnosis is often still unclear, and other disorders, such as MSA, can be suspected, the clinical characteristics and laboratory investigations, in a large cohort of PAF patients were examined. Results indicated that abnormal white matter lesions are prevalent in PAF. Furthermore, gastrointestinal symptoms were also evident in PAF and can also occur in other autonomic disorders, e.g., MSA. Using electrogastrography, impaired indexes of gastric motility were also evident in PAF. 3 Acknowledgements I would like to first thank the many patients, their relatives and all participants who volunteered to participate in the studies contained in this thesis. I am forever indebted to my supervisor, Professor Christopher Mathias who has given me a great opportunity to study such fascinating aspects of autonomic function in primary chronic autonomic disorders and for his invaluable advice and support throughout the studies. I am most grateful to Dr. David Low for the opportunity to work with him and for his support, mentoring and invaluable advice. I would also like to thank Dr Valeria Iodice and Mr. Andrew Owens for their support and guidance and friendship. This thesis would not have been possible without them. I would like to thank all the Clinical Scientists at the Pickering Unit, St Mary’s Hospital and the Autonomic Unit at The National Hospital for Neurology & Neurosurgery and Sister Catherine Best for all their help. I would also like to specifically thank Professor Andrew Lees and Dr Laura Silveira-Moriyama for their guidance and help during my studies. I am especially indebted to my parents for their encouragement and support and I would finally like to thank my wife, Sukritta, and my children, Atitiya and Atiruth, for their love and unending support they have given me throughout this journey. 4 Table of contents Abstract...................................................................................................................................2 Acknowledgements...............................................................................................................3 List of Tables..........................................................................................................................8 List of Figures......................................................................................................................11 Abbreviations.......................................................................................................................13 Chapter 1 Introduction.........................................................................................................18 Chapter 2 Literature Review................................................................................................25 2.1 Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) Function...................................................................26 2.2 Neurotransmitters in the ANS..........................................................................................28 2.3 Cardiovascular Autonomic Function................................................................................30 2.4 Classification of autonomic disorders...............................................................................32 2.5 Primary chronic autonomic failure (CAF).........................................................................33 2.5.1 Non-motor symptoms in Primary CAF.......................................................................35 2.5.1.1 Cardiovascular autonomic symptoms in Primary CAF..........................................35 2.5.1.2 Cardiovascular autonomic screening tests...........................................................39 2.5.1.3 Novel quantitative cardiovascular autonomic function tests.................................43 2.5.2 Other non-motor features in patients with Primary CAF............................................44 2.5.2.1 The olfactory system and pathology in Primary CAF...........................................44 2.5.2.1.1 Assessment of olfactory function....................................................................47 2.5.2.1.2 Olfactory function in Primary CAF...................................................................48 5 2.5.2.2 Gastrointestinal dysfunction.................................................................................49 2.5.2.2.1 Neural control of the gastrointestinal function................................................49 2.5.2.2.2 Gastrointestinal dysfunction in Primary CAF..................................................53 2.5.3 Quality of life in patients with Primary CAF................................................................56 Chapter 3 General Methods................................................................................................59 3.1 Participant recruitment.....................................................................................................60 3.2 Experimental group design..............................................................................................60 3.3 Study preparation.............................................................................................................62 3.4 Cardiovascular autonomic function tests.........................................................................62
Recommended publications
  • Olfactory Sulcus Morphology in Teenagers with First-Presentation
    Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging 292 (2019) 1–4 Contents lists available at ScienceDirect Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/psychresns Olfactory sulcus morphology in teenagers with first-presentation borderline personality disorder T ⁎ Tsutomu Takahashia, , Yumiko Nishikawaa, Dennis Velakoulisb, Michio Suzukia, Patrick D. McGorryc,d, Christos Pantelisb, Andrew M. Chanenc,d a Department of Neuropsychiatry, University of Toyama Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2630 Sugitani, Toyama 930-0194, Japan b Melbourne Neuropsychiatry Centre, Department of Psychiatry, The University of Melbourne and Melbourne Health, Melbourne, Australia c Orygen, the National Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health, Melbourne, Australia d Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT Keywords: Gray matter reduction of the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) has been reported in borderline personality disorder Neurodevelopment (BPD), but it remains unknown whether the BPD patients exhibit morphologic changes of the olfactory sulcus, a Orbitofrontal cortex potential marker of forebrain development located on the OFC. We used magnetic resonance imaging to in- Trauma vestigate the length and depth of the olfactory sulcus in 20 teenagers (15 females and 5 males) with first- Impulsivity presentation BPD and 20 healthy controls (15 females and 5 males). While there was no group difference in the Magnetic resonance imaging length of the sulcus, the BPD patients (especially those with a history of trauma) had a significantly shallower right olfactory sulcus compared with controls. In addition, sulcus depth was negatively correlated with the severity of impulsivity and affective instability in the BPD patients. These preliminary findings may suggest a significant role of environmental risk factors (i.e., trauma exposure) during childhood to adolescence in the neurobiology of BPD.
    [Show full text]
  • Trafficking and Signaling of Parkin-Associated
    Distribution Agreement In presenting this thesis or dissertation as a partial fulfillment of the requirements for an advanced degree from Emory University, I hereby grant to Emory University and its agents the non-exclusive license to archive, make accessible, and display my thesis or dissertation in whole or in part in all forms of media, now or hereafter known, including display on the world wide web. I understand that I may select some access restrictions as part of the online submission of this thesis or dissertation. I retain all ownership rights to the copyright of the thesis or dissertation. I also retain the right to use in future works (such as articles or books) all or part of this thesis or dissertation. Signature: _____________________________ ______________ Jill Harley Dunham Date Trafficking and Signaling of Parkin-Associated Endothelin-Like Receptor GPR37 By Jill Harley Dunham B.S. The University of Georgia, 2003 Graduate Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences Program in Molecular and Systems Pharmacology ________________________________ Randy Hall, Ph.D. Adviser _____________________________ Allan Levey, M.D., Ph.D. Committee Member _____________________________ John Hepler, Ph.D. Committee Member _____________________________ Lian Li, Ph.D. Committee Member Accepted: ________________________________ Lisa A. Tedesco, Ph.D. Dean of the Graduate School ________________________________ Date TRAFFICKING AND SIGNALING OF THE PARKIN-ASSOCIATED ENDOTHELIN-LIKE RECEPTOR GPR37 By Jill Harley Dunham B.S., University of Georgia,
    [Show full text]
  • Ficha Catalográfica
    Naiani Ferreira Marques Guanosina previne alterações mitocondriais, o efeito tipo- depressivo e o déficit olfatório induzido por modelos experimentais da doença de Parkinson Tese submetida ao Programa de Pós-graduação em Bioquímica do Centro de Ciências Biológicas da Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina como requisito parcial à obtenção do grau de doutora em Bioquímica. Orientadora: Profa. Dra. Carla Inês Tasca Florianópolis - SC 2019 Ficha de identificação da obra elaborada pelo autor, através do Programa de Geração Automática da Biblioteca Universitária da UFSC. Marques, Naiani Ferreira Guanosina previne alterações mitocondriais, o efeito tipo-depressivo e o déficit olfatório induzido por modelos experimentais da doença de Parkinson / Naiani Ferreira Marques ; orientadora, Carla Inês Tasca, 2019. 216 p. Tese (doutorado) - Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Centro de Ciências Biológicas, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Bioquímica, Florianópolis, 2019. Inclui referências. 1. Bioquímica. 2. Doença de Parkinson. 3. Guanosina. 4. 6-OHDA. 5. MPTP. I. Tasca, Carla Inês. II. Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Bioquímica. III. Título. Dedico esse trabalho aos meus pais Jairo e Cleusa que sempre trabalharam muito para garantir a minha educação e sempre foram meus maiores apoiadores. AGRADECIMENTOS Agradeço primeiramente aos meus pais Jairo e Cleusa por toda a base, pelos ensinamentos e pelo apoio incondicional em todas as fases da minha educação e da minha vida. A sabedoria de vocês sempre será meu exemplo em todos os aspectos. Agradeço muito a minha orientadora Profa Dra Carla Tasca pela experiência, pelo conhecimento, pelo seu tempo dedicado ao meu trabalho, pela paciência e por todas as oportunidades que estar em seu laboratório me proporcionaram.
    [Show full text]
  • Contribution of Enterococcus Faecalis to Urinary Tract Infection
    Western University Scholarship@Western Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository 3-29-2018 3:00 PM Contribution of Enterococcus faecalis to urinary tract infection Samantha Ann Whiteside The University of Western Ontario Supervisor Reid, Gregor The University of Western Ontario Co-Supervisor Burton, Jeremy P. The University of Western Ontario Graduate Program in Microbiology and Immunology A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the equirr ements for the degree in Doctor of Philosophy © Samantha Ann Whiteside 2018 Follow this and additional works at: https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd Part of the Bacterial Infections and Mycoses Commons Recommended Citation Whiteside, Samantha Ann, "Contribution of Enterococcus faecalis to urinary tract infection" (2018). Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository. 5270. https://ir.lib.uwo.ca/etd/5270 This Dissertation/Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by Scholarship@Western. It has been accepted for inclusion in Electronic Thesis and Dissertation Repository by an authorized administrator of Scholarship@Western. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Abstract The purpose of this thesis was to increase understanding of enterococcal urinary tract infection (UTI), in particular, the response of Enterococcus to antibiotic prophylaxis in vitro and in vivo and enterococcal communication with the bladder. We studied the in vitro effects of trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (TMP/SMX) and nitrofurantoin, two of the most commonly used antibiotic treatments for the management of both UTI and recurrent UTI (RUTI), on Enterococcus faecalis attachment to urothelial cells. In doing so, we documented increases in bacterial attachment at growth inhibitory concentrations of nitrofurantoin, but not TMP/SMX. This increased virulence did not correlate with increased expression of virulence factors but was correlated with increased expression of three putative genes.
    [Show full text]
  • The Multi-Dimensional Contributions of Prefrontal Circuits to Emotion Regulation During Adulthood and Critical Stages of Development
    brain sciences The Multi-Dimensional Contributions of Prefrontal Circuits to Emotion Regulation during Adulthood and Critical Stages of Development Edited by Angela Roberts Printed Edition of the Special Issue Published in Brain Sciences www.mdpi.com/journal/brainsci The Multi-Dimensional Contributions of Prefrontal Circuits to Emotion Regulation during Adulthood and Critical Stages of Development The Multi-Dimensional Contributions of Prefrontal Circuits to Emotion Regulation during Adulthood and Critical Stages of Development Special Issue Editor Angela Roberts MDPI • Basel • Beijing • Wuhan • Barcelona • Belgrade Special Issue Editor Angela Roberts University of Cambridge UK Editorial Office MDPI St. Alban-Anlage 66 4052 Basel, Switzerland This is a reprint of articles from the Special Issue published online in the open access journal Actuators (ISSN 2076-0825) from 2018 to 2019 (available at: https://www.mdpi.com/journal/brainsci/special issues/Neuro Emotion). For citation purposes, cite each article independently as indicated on the article page online and as indicated below: LastName, A.A.; LastName, B.B.; LastName, C.C. Article Title. Journal Name Year, Article Number, Page Range. ISBN 978-3-03921-702-1 (Pbk) ISBN 978-3-03921-703-8 (PDF) c 2019 by the authors. Articles in this book are Open Access and distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license, which allows users to download, copy and build upon published articles, as long as the author and publisher are properly credited, which ensures maximum dissemination and a wider impact of our publications. The book as a whole is distributed by MDPI under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons license CC BY-NC-ND.
    [Show full text]
  • On the Scent of Human Olfactory Orbitofrontal Cortex: Meta-Analysis and Comparison to Non-Human Primates
    Brain Research Reviews 50 (2005) 287 – 304 www.elsevier.com/locate/brainresrev Review On the scent of human olfactory orbitofrontal cortex: Meta-analysis and comparison to non-human primates Jay A. Gottfrieda,*, David H. Zaldb aDepartment of Neurology and the Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer’s Disease Center, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, 320 E. Superior St., Searle 11-453, Chicago, IL 60611, USA bDepartment of Psychology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37240, USA Accepted 25 August 2005 Available online 6 October 2005 Abstract It is widely accepted that the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) represents the main neocortical target of primary olfactory cortex. In non-human primates, the olfactory neocortex is situated along the basal surface of the caudal frontal lobes, encompassing agranular and dysgranular OFC medially and agranular insula laterally, where this latter structure wraps onto the posterior orbital surface. Direct afferent inputs arrive from most primary olfactory areas, including piriform cortex, amygdala, and entorhinal cortex, in the absence of an obligatory thalamic relay. While such findings are almost exclusively derived from animal data, recent cytoarchitectonic studies indicate a close anatomical correspondence between non-human primate and human OFC. Given this cross-species conservation of structure, it has generally been presumed that the olfactory projection area in human OFC occupies the same posterior portions of OFC as seen in non-human primates. This review questions this assumption by providing a critical survey of the localization of primate and human olfactory neocortex. Based on a meta-analysis of human functional neuroimaging studies, the region of human OFC showing the greatest olfactory responsivity appears substantially rostral and in a different cytoarchitectural area than the orbital olfactory regions as defined in the monkey.
    [Show full text]
  • Achems XLII April 19 – 23, 2021 Virtual Meeting Program & Abstracts
    AChemS XLII April 19 – 23, 2021 Virtual Meeting Program & Abstracts Monday, April 19, 2021 Monday, April 19, 2021 10:00 - 12:00 PM Welcome & Keynote Lecture Chair(s): Max Fletcher Welcome by AChemS 2021 President. Linda Barlow University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus Program Highlights. Max Fletcher The University of Tennessee Health Science Center Awards Ceremony. Nirupa Chaudhari University of Miami KEYNOTE: Mouse Facial Expressions Reflect Emotions and Reveal Subjective Value. Nadine Gogolla Max Planck Institute of Neurobiology Questions & Answers Monday, April 19, 2021 12:00 - 1:00 PM Graduate Students and Postdoc Member Meet & Greet (Graduate Students and Postdocs Only) Chair(s): Jess Kanwal, Kellie Hyde, Kara Fulton Monday, April 19, 2021 1:00 - 3:00 PM Cell Types in Taste Buds and Tentacles 1 Chair(s): Thomas Finger, Sue Kinnamon Cell Types in Taste Buds and Tentacles. Thomas Finger Rocky Mtn. Taste & Smell Ctr. / U. Colo Med Sch This symposium will discuss the current thinking about the diversity of cells within taste buds and chemotactile sensory organs of octopus suckers. While octopus suckers may seem an odd juxtaposition, both taste buds and sucker chemosensory receptor cells share the property of being contact chemosensory organs responsive to sapid chemical cues crucial for eliciting feeding. Both sucker chemotactile sensory organs and taste buds possess different morphological types of receptor cells that correlate with different functional properties. Vertebrate taste buds are classically described as possessing 3 types of elongate taste cells yet recent studies suggest additional cell types exist and raise the question of how to define cell types in any chemoreceptor system.
    [Show full text]
  • Purinergic Signaling in Cochlear Supporting Cells Reduces Hair
    RESEARCH ARTICLE Purinergic signaling in cochlear supporting cells reduces hair cell excitability by increasing the extracellular space Travis A Babola1, Calvin J Kersbergen1, Han Chin Wang1†, Dwight E Bergles1,2,3* 1The Solomon Snyder Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, United States; 2Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, United States; 3Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, United States Abstract Neurons in developing sensory pathways exhibit spontaneous bursts of electrical activity that are critical for survival, maturation and circuit refinement. In the auditory system, intrinsically generated activity arises within the cochlea, but the molecular mechanisms that initiate this activity remain poorly understood. We show that burst firing of mouse inner hair cells prior to hearing onset requires P2RY1 autoreceptors expressed by inner supporting cells. P2RY1 activation triggers K+ efflux and depolarization of hair cells, as well as osmotic shrinkage of supporting cells that dramatically increased the extracellular space and speed of K+ redistribution. Pharmacological inhibition or genetic disruption of P2RY1 suppressed neuronal burst firing by reducing K+ release, but unexpectedly enhanced their tonic firing, as water resorption by supporting cells reduced the extracellular space, leading to K+ accumulation. These studies indicate that purinergic signaling in *For correspondence: supporting cells regulates hair cell
    [Show full text]
  • POSTER PRESENTATIONS POSTER SESSION 1 – Monday 15Th
    XVI WORLD CONGRESS OF PSYCHIATRY “FOCUSING ON ACCESS, QUALITY AND HUMANE CARE” MADRID, SPAIN | September 14-18, 2014 POSTER PRESENTATIONS POSTER SESSION 1 – Monday 15th ADHD: ________________________________________________________________________________________________ 1 – 109 Addiction: _________________________________________________________________________________________ 110 – 275 Anxiety, Stress and Adjustment Disorders: _________________________________________ 276 – 368 Art and Psychiatry: ___________________________________________________________________________ 369 – 384 Biological Psychiatry and Neuroscience: ____________________________________________ 385 – 443 Brain and Pain: _________________________________________________________________________________ 444 – 449 Child and Adolescent Mental and Behavioral Disorders: ______________________ 450 – 603 Conflict Management and Resolution: _______________________________________________ 604 – 606 Dementia, Delirium and Related Cognitive Disorders: _________________________ 607 – 674 Diagnostic Systems: _________________________________________________________________________ 675 – 683 Disasters and Emergencies in Psychiatry: __________________________________________ 684 – 690 Dissociative, Somatization and Factitious Disorders: __________________________ 691 – 710 Eating Disorders: ______________________________________________________________________________ 711 – 759 Ecology, Psychiatry and Mental Health: ______________________________________________ 760 – 762 Epidemiology
    [Show full text]
  • Wnt/Β-Catenin Pathway in Cranial Bone Progenitor Specification
    WNT/β-CATENIN PATHWAY IN CRANIAL BONE PROGENITOR SPECIFICATION By LAWRENCE HENRY GOODNOUGH Submitted in partial fulfillment of requirements For the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Dissertation Adviser: Radhika Atit, PhD Department of Pathology CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY August, 2013 CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY SCHOOL OF GRADUATE STUDIES We hereby approve the thesis/dissertation of Lawrence Henry Goodnough Doctor of Philosophy candidate for the ________________________________degree *. (signed)___________James Anderson, MD, Phd____________(committee chair) ____________Nicholas Ziats, PhD_________________ ____________George Dubyak, PhD______________________________ ____________Veronique Lefebvre, PhD____________________________ ____________Clive Hamlin, PhD__________________________________ ____________Radhika Atit, PhD___________________________________ (date) ____March 25, 2013___________________ *We also certify that written approval has been obtained for any proprietary material contained therein. i TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES AND FIGURES ........................................................................................... iii CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION AND SIGNIFICANCE .................................................................. 1 ABSTRACT ....................................................................................................................... 1 I.A. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE ............................................................................................... 2 I.B. EVOLUTION AND DEVELOPMENT
    [Show full text]
  • The Mitral Cells of the Bulb May Contain Atrophic Substance That Helps to Maintain the Survival of Olfactory Receptor Neurons (49)
    View metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk brought to you by CORE provided by KhartoumSpace Structure and Central Connections Of PERIPHERAL OLFACTORY SYSTEM. Submitted in partial fulfillment for the degree of M. Sc. In human morphology. In the Anatomy Department U. of K. ASIM S. Y. Surij MBBS U. of K. 1980. Supervised by PROFESSOR: MOHEMED AHMED HASSAN A/ GALEEL. February, 2006. In the memory of, Professor Mustafa Hassan Badi, 1941-2004 A brilliant educationalist, And a scholarly scientist DEDICATION This work is dedicated to the lates, my mother; Ustaza Katera Ibraheem Sorij and my sister Ustaza Attiat Sidahmed. To my two daughters Tasneem and Toga. ACKNOWELDGEMENT. I would like to thank Professor Mohemed Ahmed Hassan, Head Anatomy Department, my supervisor in the Anatomy Department at the Medical School University of Khartoum, and Dr. Ammar Eltahir, ViceDean for academic affairs, Faculty of medicine, my co-supervisor whose careful remarks and assistance have produced this work in its present format. He availed his office and his own PCW, despite his tremendous obligations. His continuous interest in me, my work, and my family has made this work just possible. His secretaries were very helpful. Mr. Babiker Khalid subahi, senior chief scientific officer school of Pharmacy has availed his PCW and technical expertise all throughout this work. In the medical illustrations Department Mr. Babiker Othman has helped with the photomicrographs. To all these kind Sudanese people goes my gratitude. ABSTRACT Olfaction, the sense of smell is an old sensory modality; in fact the whole olfactory system belongs to a phylogenetically old part of the neuraxis, the paleocortex.
    [Show full text]
  • D Epth of Olfactory Sulcus and Olfactory Function
    Brain Research 975 (2003) 85–89 www.elsevier.com/locate/brainres Research report D epth of olfactory sulcus and olfactory function Thomas Hummela,* , Michael Damm b , Julia Vent b , Matthias Schmidt c , Peter Theissen c , Maria Larssondb , Jens-Peter Klussmann aSmell and Taste Clinic, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University of Dresden Medical School, Fetscherstr. 74, 01307 Dresden, Germany bDepartment of Otorhinolaryngology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany cDepartment of Nuclear Medicine, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany dDepartment of Psychology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden Accepted 3 March 2003 Abstract The aim of this study was to identify whether the depth of the olfactory sulcus relates to olfactory function in healthy subjects. Forty-four healthy, male volunteers (age range 22–45 years, mean age 28.3 years) were included in this study. Olfactory function was measured for phenyl ethyl alcohol odor thresholds, odor discrimination, and odor identification. Magnetic resonance imaging of the olfactory sulcus was performed immediately following olfactometry. Based on previous investigations the depth of the olfactory sulcus was measured in the plane of the posterior tangent through the eyeballs. Olfactory function correlated significantly with left-sided depth of the olfactory sulcus (r4450.33, P50.03); no such correlation was seen for the right side. In addition, olfactory sulcus depth was found to be significantly deeper on the right compared to the left side (t55.61, P,0.001). The present results suggest that there is small, but significant relation between morphological brain structures and measures of olfactory function. Further, lateralization of olfactory sulcus depth may correlate to functional lateralization in the olfactory system.
    [Show full text]