Peripheric and central olfactory measurements in patients with bipolar disorder.

Background: Bipolar disorder (BD) is a mental health disorder.

Purpose: To investigate the peripheric and central olfactory measurements in patients with BD using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Material And Methods: This study was conducted retrospectively. Group 1 consisted of 27 euthymic patients with BD (14 men, 13 women) and Group 2 consisted of 27 healthy controls (14 men, 13 women). Olfactory bulb (OB) volume and olfactory sulcus (OS) depth (peripheric), and corpus amygdala and insular gyrus area (central) measurements were performed using cranial MRI.

Results: OB volume and OS depth value of the bipolar group were lower than the control group, but there were no significant differences between the groups ( > 0.05). The corpus amygdala and left insular gyrus area of the bipolar group were significantly lower than those in the control group ( < 0.05). There were positive correlations between OB volumes and OS depths, the insular gyrus areas, and the corpus amygdala areas ( < 0.05). As the number of depressive episodes and duration of illness increased in bipolar patients, the depth of the sulcus decreased ( < 0.05).

Conclusion: In the present study a correlation was detected between OB volumes and the structures, known as emotional processing (e.g. insular gyrus area, corpus amygdala), and clinical features. Accordingly, new treatment techniques, such as olfactory training, may be considered an option in the treatment of such patients with BD.