The influence of narcolepsy on olfactory function: a review

IntroductionNarcolepsy is a sleep disorder associated with loss of hypocretin cells characterized by irrepressible need to sleep, often accompanied by cataplexy, sleep fragmentation, hypnagogical and hypnopompic hallucinations, and sleep paralysis. It is also correlated with alterations in the sleep–wake cycle, dysautonomia, olfactory dysfunction, and eating disorders.MethodsThis is a review about influence of narcolepsy on human olfaction. Pubmed, Embase, Ovid and Cochrane databases were searched for articles on the evaluation of olfactory function in narcoleptic patients including terms as narcolepsy, olfaction disorder, amongst others.ResultsSeven articles met the inclusion criteria. In five of them, the olfaction of narcoleptic patients was diminished in comparison with healthy control groups. The diagnosis of narcolepsy relates to worse performance in olfactory tests.Experimental researches showed that hypocretin and hypocretin receptors are present in the olfactory system, and this neuropeptide may have a role on olfactory sensitivity and on the olfactory modulation. The cause of hyposmia appears to be multifactorial. Among them, it stands out the hypocretin deficiency, therefore, that seems to be involved in the olfactory impairment in narcoleptic patients.     

The Predictors of Parent Reported Behaviors Related to Olfactory Information Processing in Children with ADHD

Objective

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a heterogeneous disorder with contradictory findings about smell detection function. It is not clear if the parent perceived behavior related to olfactory function is associated with age, gender, severity of ADHD, and cooccurring symptoms of anxiety and oppositional behavior in children with ADHD.

Methods

Participants were a clinical sample of 104 children and adolescents with ADHD using DSM-IV diagnostic criteria by a semi-structured interview. Parent perceived behavior related to olfactory processing function was assessed trough a questionnaire. The parent reported Olfactory Functioning Checklist was used to evaluate "seeking behavior and over-responsiveness to smell (SSBO)" and "smell detection ability (SDA)".

Results

ADHD and separation anxiety symptoms count (severity) predicted the SDA scale score. None of the variables of gender, age, ADHD subtypes, co-morbidity with oppositional defiant disorder (ODD), and symptom count of ODD predicted SSBO and SDA scales'' scores.

Conclusion

Parent reported behavior related to olfactory detection impairment increased with higher ADHD and anxiety severity. It is independent of age and gender.     

Flatography: Detection of gastrointestinal diseases by faecal gas analysis

Patients presenting with gastro-intestinal symptoms might suffer from a range of possible underlying diseases. An unmet need exists for novel cost-effective,reproducible, easy-to-perform and non-invasive tests. Hippocrates used body odours to diagnose diseases circa 460 before Christ. The art of diagnostic smelling is making a promising high-tech come-back with portable "electronic diagnostic noses". Analysis of faecal volatile organic compounds is a novel field in metabolomics with considerable potential to improve the diagnosis, phenotyping and monitoring of gastro-intestinal disease. Challenges will be to mature over the coming years by development of a standardized methodology for stool sample collection, storage, handling and analysis. Furthermore, key volatiles need to be identified to improve test accuracy and sensitivity by development of sensors tailored toward the accurate identification of disease specific volatiles. If these challenges are adequately faced, analysis of faecal volatiles has realistic potential to considerably improve screening, diagnosis and disease monitoring for gastro-intestinal diseases.     

Primary Sjögren’s syndrome impact on smell,taste, sexuality and quality of life in female patients: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Objectives: The aim of this study is to assess the impact of dryness caused by primary Sjögren’s Syndrome (pSS) on smell, taste and sexual function in female patients, and its influence on quality of life.

Methods: Electronic databases including MEDLINE via Ovid, Web of Science, SCOUPUS, EMBASE and COCHRANE LIBRARY were searched until April 2016. Studies that assessed the function of smell, taste and sexuality in pSS patients, defined by the American European Consensus Group (AECG) criteria. Standardized mean differences (SMD) for individual studies using random-effects meta-analysis were feasible.

Results: Five studies incorporated 378 participants were included in the quantitative synthesis. The impact of pSS vs. healthy controls was: smell SMD ?0.78 (95% CI ?1.29 to ?0.27); taste SMD ?1.01 (95% CI ?1.54 to ?0.49); total sexual function SMD ?0.93 (95% CI ?1.22 to ?0.64); physical and mental component of the quality of life SMD ?1.28 (95% CI ?1.65 to ?0.90) and SMD ?0.83 (95% CI ?1.27 to ?0.40) respectively; anxiety and depression SMD 0.61 (95% CI 0.02, 1.20) and SMD 0.79 (95% CI 0.43 to 1.15), respectively.

Conclusion: pSS has a negative impact on smell, taste, sexual function and quality of life in women.     

神经精神性狼疮认知功能改变机制及结构和功能MRI研究进展

25%~75%的系统性红斑狼疮患者中存在中枢神经系统受累,尤其是脑,可产生各种神经精神症状,而且有证据表明嗅觉和认知功能改变可能早于神经精神症状的发生,因此有助于对狼疮脑病的早期诊断。近年来,随着各种功能MRI技术的发展,对系统性红斑狼疮的诊断、评估以及疾病的发生发展有重要价值。作者就系统性红斑狼疮患者在嗅觉和认知方面的改变,以及结构和功能MRI在其中的应用展开综述。     

Effects of smell loss (hyposmia) on salt usage

ObjectiveSmell loss (hyposmia) inhibits flavor perception and influences food intake. To compensate for flavor loss, some patients with hyposmia appear to increase salt usage. The purpose of this study was to compare self-reported salt usage in patients with hyposmia with that in normal volunteers.MethodsSalt usage was compared in 56 patients with hyposmia but with normal taste function with that in 27 normal volunteers. Salt usage was formulated with respect to 1) a standard quantitative salt intake scale, 2) salt addition related to food intake, 3) intake of foods and beverages with high salt content, and 4) salt intake related to presence or absence of hypertension.ResultsEighteen (32%) of the 56 patients self-reported increased salt usage; they were labeled “increased users.” The other 38 hyposmic patients (68%) did not report increased salt usage; they were labeled “non-changers.” Increased users estimated their salt usage rose an average 2.8 times that experienced before their hyposmia onset. They also reported adding salt to their food before tasting it and ate more highly salted foods than did the non-changers. Salt usage was not increased further among increased users with hypertension but was increased further among non-changers with hypertension.ConclusionsSalt usage is increased among some patients with hyposmia presumably to enhance flavor perception to compensate for diminished flavor perception related to loss of smell.     

传统方法鉴定中药材

以四十余种中药材及中药饮片为研究对象进行分析,运用眼看、手摸、鼻闻、水试、火试等方式鉴定中药材性状与质量,可为判断质量、区分伪正品提供有效依据。四十余种中药材及中药饮品均顺利完成鉴定、质量分析和伪正品区分,传统方法鉴定法的应用可为多数药材质量、性状鉴定提供可靠依据,有助于判断药材质量、区分伪正品,对加强药材质量监督控制,做到安全合理用药有积极作用。     

Trigeminal and olfactory sensitivity: comparison of modalities and methods of measurement

Objective: The principal objective was to chart sensitivity for human nasal irritation by alternative psychophysical methods, namely, a common detection procedure versus a nasal lateralization procedure that required the subject to indicate whether a vapor had stimulated the left or right nostril. This objective relates to the broader issues as to (a) whether subjects with normal olfaction (normosmics) can yield, through novel methodology, an index of sensitivity to nasal irritation comparable with that obtained from subjects without olfaction (anosmics) and (b) whether both types of subjects have similar irritation sensitivity in general. This study sought to gauge interconvertability both between types of subjects and between modes of stimulus presentation for irritative and, where appropriate, olfactory stimulation. Methods: Static dilution series of four n-aliphatic alcohols, chosen to represent volatile organic compounds (VOCs), provided the source of calibrated olfactory and irritative vapors emitted from their squeezable containers into the nose or eye either by a mechanical device or by hand. Standard psychophysical methodology (forced-choice; ascending strength of stimulation) served to chart detection thresholds for irritation and odor and an analogous procedure served to chart the threshold for localization of stimulation. Results: Within the limits of resolution, detection thresholds and nasal localization thresholds yielded comparable indices of the potency of the VOCs to evoke nasal irritation. The thresholds agreed well with those for detection of eye irritation, though only the eyes proved to be capable of detecting irritation from 1-octanol. The method of emitting the stimulus had little material effect on measures of either irritative or olfactory detection. Conclusions: The threshold for nasal localization offers a suitable way to measure nasal irritation in normosmic persons. Olfactory stimulation does not interfere with the measure since subjects cannot localize on that basis. Anosmic and normosmic persons have comparable sensitivity to nasal and ocular irritation. If anosmic persons have any lower sensitivity, as sometimes claimed, it would seem to have only trivial consequences for estimates of the irritative potency of VOCs. Received: 10 April 1997 / Accepted: 10 July 1997     

抗生素粉体掩味包衣工艺及设备

介绍了粉体掩味包衣的工艺过程，并提出了相应的设备选型。