title: Sniffin' Sticks and olfactory system imaging in patients with Kallmann syndrome.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The relationship between olfactory function, rhinencephalon and forebrain changes in Kallmann syndrome (KS) have not been adequately investigated. We evaluated a large cohort of male KS patients using Sniffin' Sticks and MRI in order to study olfactory bulb (OB) volume, olfactory sulcus (OS) depth, cortical thickness close to the OS, and olfactory phenotype.
  
  
  METHODS
  Olfaction was assessed administering Sniffin' Sticks®, in 38 KS patients and 17 controls (by means of Screening 12 test®). All subjects underwent magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to study OB volume, sulcus depth, and cortical thickness.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared to controls, KS patients showed smaller OB volume (p<0.0001), reduced sulcus depth (p<0.0001), and thicker cortex in the region close to the OS (p<0.0001). Anosmic KS patients had smaller OB than controls and hyposmic KS patients; there was no difference between hyposmic KS patients and controls. OB volume correlated with Sniffin' Sticks score (r = 0.64; p < 0.001), OS depth (p<0.0001) and, inversely, with cortical thickness changes (p<0.0001). Sniffin' Sticks showed an inverse correlation with cortical thickness (r = -0.5; p<0.0001) and a trend toward a statistically significant correlation with OS depth.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study provides further evidence of the strict relationship between olfaction and OB volume. The strong correlation between OB volume and the overlying cortical changes highlights the key role of rhinencephalon in forebrain embryogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosciences, Otolaryngology Section, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Giancarlo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ottaviano
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, Reproductive and Odontostomatologic Science, ENT Unit and Department of Molecular Medicine and Medical Biotechnology, "Federico II" University, Napoli, Italy.
authors.forename: Elena
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Cantone
authors.affiliation: Department of Advanced Biomedical Sciences-Neuroradiology, "Federico II" University, Napoli, Italy.
authors.forename: Arianna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: D'Errico
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Venezia, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Salvalaggio
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS), Venezia, Italy.
authors.forename: Valentina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Citton
authors.affiliation: Department of Statistical Sciences, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Bruno
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Scarpa
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosciences, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Favaro
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic Sciences, Second University of Napoli, Napoli, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonio Agostino
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Sinisi
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biostructure and Bioimaging, National Research Council, School of Medicine, "Federico II" University, Napoli, Italy.
authors.forename: Raffaele
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Liuzzi
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine (DIMED), University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Guglielmo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bonanni
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroradiology, University of Salerno, Salerno, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Di Salle
authors.affiliation: Department of Advanced Biomedical Sciences-Neuroradiology, "Federico II" University, Napoli, Italy.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Elefante
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroradiology, University of Salerno, Salerno, Italy.
authors.forename: Renzo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Manara
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosciences, Otolaryngology Section, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Alberto
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Staffieri
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosciences, University of Padova, Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Martini
authors.affiliation: Department of Advanced Biomedical Sciences-Neuroradiology, "Federico II" University, Napoli, Italy.
authors.forename: Arturo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Brunetti
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D017436:Kallmann Syndrome / Q000473:pathology*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000857:Olfaction Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D009830:Olfactory Bulb / Q000473:pathology*; D012903:Smell; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Kallmann syndrome; MRI; Sniffin’ Sticks; cortical thickness; n-butanol; odor discrimination; odor identification; odor threshold; olfactory bulb volume; olfactory sulcus depth