Researchers examine the neurological processes that impact the sense of smell and may cause scent aversion in autism
Newswise — New research from New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine (NYITCOM) could help explain how the sense of smell is impacted in individuals with autism.
Individuals with autism have an “insistence on sameness,” and often avoid unfamiliar elements, including new smells and foods, which can impact their quality of life. While many studies have focused on the behavioral features of autism, additional research is needed to help explain its sensory aspects.
Now, a study led by NYITCOM Assistant Professor of Biomedical Sciences Gonzalo Otazu, Ph.D., published in the journal Nature Communications, analyzes a mouse model of autism and reports differences in the neurological processes responsible for smell.
The team trained two groups of mice—one group with a mutation in a gene linked to autism (CNTNAP2 knockout mice) and one neurotypical group—to recognize familiar scents. When they successfully identified the target scent, the mice were rewarded with a sip of water. Both groups succeeded in identifying the target. Then, the mice were given a more challenging task: identifying target scents as unfamiliar odors were introduced in the background. Otazu, an electrical engineer, likens this task to Internet captchas, which require humans to visually identify letters and numbers set in a busy or obscured background. While the neurotypical mice were able to “filter out” new background odors and identify the target scents, the CNTNAP2 knockout mice struggled to do so.
To better understand where the processing error was occurring in the brains of the CNTNAP2 knockout mice, the researchers visualized the neural activity at the input of each animal’s olfactory bulb, the part of the brain that initially processes smell. An imaging technique called intrinsic optical imaging was used to visualize neural activity near the surface of the olfactory bulb. Here, “scent signals” are transmitted to other parts of the brain for further processing, playing a key role in how the brain computes smell.
However, the input signals were very similar between the CNTNAP2 knockout mice and neurotypical mice. This suggests that scent processing in the autism model was impaired at a later step—after signals were processed at the olfactory bulb input. This finding was also replicated when the researchers “reverse-engineered” the brain’s processes for identifying target scents in unfamiliar backgrounds. Leveraging machine learning, a form of artificial intelligence that uses algorithms to replicate the brain’s processes, the team applied the olfactory bulb input signals to a sophisticated algorithm that matched the high performance of neurotypical mice. The neurotypical mice filtered out novel background scents and identified targets, but this complex processing was impaired in CNTNAP2 knockout mice.
“We speculate that the olfactory bulbs in the mouse model of autism might be more easily overwhelmed by processing new background odors,” said Otazu. “These findings illustrate why more studies related to the sensory aspect of autism are so important. By documenting the neural processes in the mouse model of autism, our findings may help to explain the brain circuitry of humans with autism and one day lead to advancements that improve these individuals’ quality of life.”
The study’s other researchers include NYITCOM Associate Professor Raddy Ramos, Ph.D., as well as former medical students and students from New York Institute of Technology’s College of Arts and Sciences.
About New York Institute of Technology
New York Institute of Technology’s six schools and colleges offer undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, and other professional degree programs in in-demand disciplines including computer science, data science, and cybersecurity; biology, health professions, and medicine; architecture and design; engineering; IT and digital technologies; management; and energy and sustainability. A nonprofit, independent, private, and nonsectarian institute of higher education founded in 1955, it welcomes nearly 8,000 students worldwide. The university has campuses in New York City and Long Island, New York; Jonesboro, Arkansas; and Vancouver, British Columbia, as well as programs around the world. More than 112,000 alumni are part of an engaged network of physicians, architects, scientists, engineers, business leaders, digital artists, and healthcare professionals. Together, the university’s community of doers, makers, healers, and innovators empowers graduates to change the world, solve 21st-century challenges, and reinvent the future. For more information, visit nyit.edu.
Source: New York Institute of Technology, New York Tech
Related
Discover more from Daily News
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
(Family Features) Taking good care of your skin all year long is essential, but even more so in the summer when the power of the sun is at its strongest. Healthy skin doesn’t require fancy moisturizers or expensive skin care products. You just need to adopt a few healthy habits.
For example, keeping your skin healthy and glowing starts from the inside out by eating and drinking healthy foods and beverages that nourish your body’s largest organ and promote healthy skin cells. Additionally, studies show certain foods, such as fresh, juicy grapes, may help protect healthy skin even when exposed to UV light, which is known to damage skin cells.
A study published in the journal “Antioxidants,” in which people consumed 2 1/4 cups of grapes every day for two weeks, showed increased resistance to sunburn and reduced markers of UV damage at the cellular level. This study reinforced previous and similar findings published in the “Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.” Grapes are also a hydrating food with 82% water content; hydration is essential to healthy skin.
Along with snacking on fresh, delicious California grapes, consider these everyday ways you can keep your skin safe from the sun’s rays.
Seek Shade
Most experts recommend avoiding the sun at the height of the day, between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., when its rays are at full strength. That doesn’t mean you can’t be outside – just seek shade as often as possible while enjoying the warm summer air.
Prioritize Hydration
Drinking water and staying hydrated is important year-round, but especially when it’s hot and you’re more likely to lose water content through sweat. Keep your body full of moisture with simple and delicious Grape-Infused Waters. For a zesty kick, try Grape, Ginger and Lime that combines the sweetness of grapes with the zing of ginger and lime, or Grape, Lemon and Mint, offering a bright and invigorating blend of citrus and mint. Enter your Zen state with a mellow, spa-like sip from Grape, Cucumber and Mint.
For a cool, hydrating snack, try freezing grapes. Simply rinse, pat dry, remove from the stems and freeze for 2 hours in a single layer on a sheet pan. You can even enjoy them as flavorful ice cube replacements in these easy-to-prepare, flavorful beverages.
Layer Up
While you’re enjoying the sunshine, layer up with a generous application of 30 SPF or higher sunscreen every 1-2 hours. Wear lightweight, long-sleeve shirts; wide-brimmed hats; sunglasses; and other protective clothing to reduce sun exposure, which can lead to wrinkles, age spots and other health problems, including an increased risk of skin cancer.
Visit 
Ian McDonough, Associate Professor of Psychology, Binghamton University, State University of New York
This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
(Family Features) Rising food costs can make healthy eating a challenge for many families. In fact, a 
