SMELL CHANGES IN SEASONAL AFFECTIVE DISORDER (ALTERACION DEL OLFATO EN EL TRASTORNO AFECTIVO ESTACIONAL)

OTERO-LOSADA, M.

Buenos Aires

Congreso; 4º Congreso Latinoamericano de Neuropsiquiatría, 8º Congreso Argentino de Neuropsiquiatría y Neurociencia Cognitiva. IXas Jornadas de la Enfermedad de Alzheimer; 2006

Asociación Neuropsiquiátrica Argentina.

ABSTRACT Olfactory and visual pathways are neurophysiologically related. Disruption of olfactory pathways unmasks photoperiodic responses in otherwise non-photoperiodic animals. Analogously the development of some olfactory deficit in certain individuals, namely those affected by seasonal affective disorder (SAD) might unmask seasonal rhythms. Considering that olfactory neurons´ primary projections are largely ipsilateral and based on previous studies which suggest lateralized hemispheric dysfunction in SAD, olfactory identification performance was assessed unirhinally (i.e.: separately on both the right and left side of the nose).