人类的嗅觉与空间记忆力存在内在联系
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An intrinsic association between olfactory identification and spatial memory in humans
背景与目的
近年来，有研究认为最初进化出嗅觉是为了帮助人类在环境中导航。与此观点一致，嗅觉识别与空间记忆存在关联且受同一脑区控制，即眶额皮质和海马。然而，两者作用过程的相互联系至今还未见相关的报道。
方 法
纳入57名志愿者，在一个虚拟小镇的不同地标之间进行“寻路”测试，并通过磁共振成像扫描左侧内侧眶额皮质的厚度以及右侧海马体积的大小。
结 果
本研究结果表明人类嗅觉识别随着空间记忆能力的变化而变化，同时还发现左侧内侧眶额皮质的厚度和右侧海马体积增加可提升嗅觉识别和空间记忆能力。另外，我们证实了内侧眶额皮质病变的患者存在嗅觉识别与空间记忆能力的缺陷。
结 论
我们的研究揭示嗅觉识别与空间记忆力共同依赖海马和内侧眶额皮质的内在联系，这种联系可能与嗅觉与海马同步进化有关。
原始文献摘要
Louisa Dahmani, Raihaan M. Patel , Yiling Yang, M. Mallar Chakravarty, Lesley K. Fellows & Véronique D. Bohbot .An intrinsic association between olfactory identification and spatial memory in humans[J].NATURE COMMUNICATIONS,2018, 9:4162 |DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-06569-4.
Backgrand:It was recently proposed that olfaction evolved to aid navigation. Consistent with this hypothesis, olfactory identification and spatial memory are linked to overlapping brain areas which include the orbitofrontal cortex and hippocampus. However, the relationship between these two processes has never been specifically investigated.
Results：Here, we show that olfactory identification covaries with spatial memory in humans. We also found that the cortical thickness of the left medial orbitofrontal cortex, and the volume of the right hippocampus, predict both olfactory identification and spatial memory. Finally, we demonstrate deficits in both olfactory identification and spatial memory in patients with lesions of the medial orbitofrontal cortex.
Conclusion:Our findings reveal an intrinsic relationship between olfaction and spatial memory that is supported by a shared reliance on the hippocampus and medial orbitofrontal cortex. This relationship may find its roots in the parallel evolution of the olfactory and hippocampal systems.
麻醉学文献进展分享
贵州医科大学高鸿教授课题组
编辑：李华宇 审校：代东君