Evaluation of olfactory bulb volume and olfactory sulcus depth in patients with panic disorder and depressive disorder: An MRI study

BACKGROUND: Although some studies have shown decreases in the olfactory bulb (OB) volume and olfactory function in depressive disorder, there are no studies investigating OB volume in patients with panic disorder. AIM: The aim of this study was to investigate whether there was a change in OB volume and olfactory sulcus (OS) depth in patients with panic and depressive disorder when compared with the control group, and which group was more affected by comparing the two disease groups. METHODS: Data of 51 patients with panic disorder and 56 patients with depressive disorder were obtained by scanning the database of the hospital retrospectively. The control group consisted of 56 subjects without panic and depressive disorder. OB volume and OS depth measurements were performed on cranial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). RESULTS: Bilateral OB volume of the panic and depressive disorder groups were significantly lower than those of the control group. The lowest volume was found in depressive patients. There was no significant difference between the groups with respect to OS measurements. When OB volume and OS depth differences between the genders were evaluated, a statistically significant difference was not determined. CONCLUSION: Reduced OB volume was determined in both panic and depressive disorder patients, and clarification of these preliminary findings may contribute to the pathophysiology of panic and depressive disorders.