THE ROLE OF FUNCTIONAL MRI IN MAPPING THE SENSORY OLFACTORY ZONES OF THE BRAIN IN VOLUNTEERS WITH DIFFERENT ODORANT DELIVERY

Abstract

This article discusses the tactics of delivery of odorants to the olfactory tract and their influence on the activity of functional olfactory zones of the brain in volunteers. This paper presents the results of a study of 9 volunteers using various types of odorants: base and essential oils with various components (mustard oil, jojoba oil, avocado oil, tea tree essential oil, eucalyptus, neroli, carrot extract, wheat germ extract) and eucalyptus essential oil in its pure form. It was found that 44.4 % of cases of «clean» functional cards were detected. In the same group of patients, functional activity of motor areas of the brain was detected, which was associated with a change in the position of the volunteer’s head. Positive results were found in 55.6 % of cases. According to the results obtained, eucalyptus essential oil turned out to be a more suitable substance for studying the olfactory function of the brain. The response to this stimulus was 60 %, which significantly exceeds the activity of a mixture of oils. In one case, activation of functional zones of the olfactory tract on both stimuli was shown. The method allows you to detect and localize significant functional zones. At the same time, some tests did not allow us to visualize olfactory zones convincingly enough. There were several reasons for the lack of reaction to the odorant. The most common factor that had a significant impact on the results was the motor activity of the volunteers during the study. This work is a step towards screening individuals at risk of developing neurodegenerative processes of various origins. The smell detection dysfunction appears later than the identification deficit.