Volumetric investigation of brain areas related to the sense of smell in neurodegenerative diseases and investigation of ohe level of neuropeptide in peripheral blood

In neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD), smell and taste disorders often accompany the picture and occur before clinical diagnosis. In this study, it was aimed to determine the volumetric volumes of the primary brain areas related to smell and taste (bulbus olfactorius, piriform cortex, amygdala, hippocampus, medial temporal lobe, thalamus and taste center operculum) by MR imaging in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's patients and healthy controls, and to determine the volume changes in odor/taste changes. In this study, it was aimed to evaluate the taste threshold levels and odor/taste discrimination abilities by comparing the endogenous released neurotransmitters with peripheral blood serum levels. Study Mustafa Kemal Unv. A total of 45 volunteers, including 15 Alzheimer's patients with mild and moderate cognitive impairment, 15 Parkinson's patients, and 15 healthy individuals, who applied to the Neurology Clinic of the Faculty of Medicine participated. Patients with a clinical history of brain trauma, brain tumors, seizures or other psychological symptoms, rhinitis, allergic rhinitis, history of sinonasal disease or known hyposmia other than AD and PD, individuals with glossitis, trigeminal nerve neuralgia, and smokers were excluded from the study. As a result of our study, it was determined that the left OB, left amygdala, left hippocampus, left anterior cingulate cortex, left gyrus temporalis medius, and right insula structures were found to have decreased volumes in both AD and PD as areas that correlated with olfactory impairment compared to healthy subjects. Regarding taste disorder, volume reduction in the left rolandic operculum cortical area and its relationship with taste disorder were determined.