title: Neural correlates of taste perception in congenital olfactory impairment.
abstract: Olfaction and gustation contribute both to the appreciation of food flavours. Although acquired loss of smell has profound consequences on the pleasure of eating, food habits and body weight, less is known about the impact of congenital olfactory impairment on gustatory processing. Here we examined taste identification accuracy and its neural correlates using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in 12 congenitally olfactory impaired individuals and 8 normosmic controls. Results showed that taste identification was worse in congenitally olfactory impaired compared to control subjects. The fMRI results demonstrated that olfactory impaired individuals had reduced activation in medial orbitofrontal cortex (mOFC) relative to normosmic subjects while tasting. In addition, olfactory performance as measured with the Sniffin' Sticks correlated positively with taste-induced blood-oxygen-level dependent (BOLD) signal increases in bilateral mOFC and anterior insula. Our data provide a neurological underpinning for the reduced taste perception in congenitally olfactory impaired individuals.
authors: Harland Sanders Chair, School of Optometry, University of Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Brain Research and Integrative Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, Panum Institute, University of Copenhagen, Denmark. Electronic address: lea.gagnon@gmail.com.
authors: Léa
authors: L
authors: Gagnon
authors: Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance, Copenhagen University Hospital, Hvidovre, Denmark.
authors: Martin
authors: M
authors: Vestergaard
authors: Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance, Copenhagen University Hospital, Hvidovre, Denmark.
authors: Kristoffer
authors: K
authors: Madsen
authors: Wilhelm Johannsen Centre for Functional Genome Research, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors: Helena G
authors: HG
authors: Karstensen
authors: Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance, Copenhagen University Hospital, Hvidovre, Denmark; Department of Neurology, Bispebjerg Hospital, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors: Hartwig
authors: H
authors: Siebner
authors: Wilhelm Johannsen Centre for Functional Genome Research, Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors: Niels
authors: N
authors: Tommerup
authors: Harland Sanders Chair, School of Optometry, University of Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Brain Research and Integrative Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, Panum Institute, University of Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors: Ron
authors: R
authors: Kupers
authors: Harland Sanders Chair, School of Optometry, University of Montreal, Quebec, Canada; Brain Research and Integrative Neuroscience Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology, Panum Institute, University of Copenhagen, Denmark; Danish Research Centre for Magnetic Resonance, Copenhagen University Hospital, Hvidovre, Denmark.
authors: Maurice
authors: M
authors: Ptito
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001921:Brain / Q000098:blood supply / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000857:Olfaction Disorders / Q000150:complications* / Q000151:congenital* / Q000473:pathology; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood; D010468:Perceptual Disorders / Q000209:etiology*; D011930:Reaction Time; D013223:Statistics as Topic; D013649:Taste / Q000502:physiology; D055697:Taste Perception / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D010100:Oxygen
keywords: Congenital olfactory impairment; Orbitofrontal cortex; Smell; Taste; fMRI