17:00 - 19:00
Fri-S9
Goethe Hall
Chair/s:
Thomas Hummel
The sense of smell is plastic. This plasticity is based on the regenerative capacity of the olfactory mucosa. The regeneration is the basis for recovery after olfactory loss which is especially significant since the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. In COVID19 the virus attacks the olfactory mucosa and olfactory receptor neurons are destroyed during the process of the disease. During recovery, ORNs are regrown from the globose basal cells. In addition to these changes at a peripheral level, the volume of the olfactory bulb also changes in relation to olfactory function. The same has been shown for the primary and secondary olfactory cortex where also changes in functional responsiveness have been observed. It appears that the effectiveness of “olfactory training” is based on these effects.
Aim of the symposium is to highlight these plastic changes at several levels. To this end a group of excellent researchers will present work that touches upon several aspects of plasticity in the chemical senses. In terms of career levels the group is mixed, with a PhD student, four relatively young colleagues in their early career, and one established senior colleagues.
Because of the high significance of this topic in terms of recovery from COVID-19 associated olfactory loss we believe that it is highly attractive to ECRO participants!
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Exploitation of brain plasticity using olfactory implants and transplants
Fri-S9-006
Presented by: Susanne Menzel
Susanne Menzel, Thomas Hummel
Smell & Taste Clinic, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
The prevalence of low olfactory function is approximately 20%, with around 5% having anosmia. Existing therapies and outcomes are limited. More recent approaches may offer new options such as electrical stimulation at different levels of the olfactory system that could lead to an olfactory implant, or transplantation of cells from the olfactory mucosa. These approaches exploit the neuronal plasticity which plays a central role for the olfactory system. In addition, the therapeutic effect of “olfactory training” (OT: repeated and regular exposure to odors for weeks/months) is based on this plasticity. It has been shown that OT is associated with an improvement of olfactory function, an increase of the volume of olfactory bulb and also the cortical thickness of different brain structures like frontal gyrus and entorhinal cortex. In summary, plasticity of the olfactory system is of high significance to a range of new and emerging treatments of olfactory dysfunction.
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