title: Effects of Manganese Exposure on Olfactory Functions in Teenagers: A Pilot Study.
abstract: Long-term exposure to environmental manganese (Mn) affects not only attention and neuromotor functions but also olfactory functions of a pre-adolescent local population who have spent their whole life span in contaminated areas. In order to investigate the effect of such exposure at the level of the central nervous system we set up a pilot fMRI experiment pointing at differences of brain activities between a non-exposed population (nine subjects) and an exposed one (three subjects). We also measured the volume of the olfactory bulb as well as the identification of standard olfactory stimuli. Our results suggest that young subjects exposed to Mn exhibit a reduction of BOLD signal, subjective odor sensitivity and olfactory bulb volume. Moreover a region of interest SPM analysis showed a specifically reduced response of the limbic system in relation to Mn exposure, suggesting an alteration of the brain network dealing with emotional responses.
authors.affiliation: Interdisciplinary Center "Smell & Taste", Department of Otorhinolaryngology, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
authors.forename: Emilia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Iannilli
authors.affiliation: Neuroradiology Unit, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy.
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Gasparotti
authors.affiliation: Interdisciplinary Center "Smell & Taste", Department of Otorhinolaryngology, TU Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
authors.forename: Thomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hummel
authors.affiliation: Occupational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy.
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zoni
authors.affiliation: Occupational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy.
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Benedetti
authors.affiliation: Occupational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy.
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Fedrighi
authors.affiliation: Radiology & Psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States of America.
authors.forename: Cheuk Ying
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.affiliation: Neurotoxicology and Chemosensation, Leibniz Research Centre for Working Environment and Human Factors at the TU Dortmund (IfADo), Dortmund, Germany.
authors.forename: Christoph
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Van Thriel
authors.affiliation: Occupational Medicine, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy.|Preventive Medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, United States of America.
authors.forename: Roberto G
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Lucchini
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D002648:Child; D004781:Environmental Exposure / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008345:Manganese / Q000009:adverse effects*; D009812:Odorants; D009830:Olfactory Bulb / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000473:pathology; D055696:Olfactory Perception / Q000187:drug effects; D009929:Organ Size; D010865:Pilot Projects
chemical_list: D008345:Manganese