Journal of neurology, neurosurgery, and psychiatry
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J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatr. · Oct 2012
Multicenter Study Comparative StudyOlfactory impairment in familial ataxias.
The main clinical manifestations of the spinocerebellar ataxias (SCAs) result from the involvement of the cerebellum and its connections. Cerebellar activity has been consistently observed in functional imaging studies of olfaction, but the anatomical pathways responsible for this connection have not yet been elucidated. Previous studies have demonstrated olfactory deficit in SCA2, Friedreich's ataxia and in small groups of ataxia of diverse aetiology. ⋯ The SS-16 score was significantly lower in ataxia than in the control group (p<0.001, 95% CI for β=0.55 to 1.90) and significantly higher in ataxia than in Parkinson's disease (p<0.001, 95% CI for β=-4.58 to -3.00) when adjusted for age (p=0.001, 95% CI for β=-0.05 to -0.01), gender (p=0.19) and history of tobacco use (p=0.41). When adjusted for general cognitive function, no significant difference was found between the ataxia and control groups. This study confirms previous findings of mild hyposmia in ataxia, and further suggests this may be due to general cognitive deficits rather than specific olfactory problems.