How smell loss may drive low motivation and social problems in schizophrenia
Project 2
This project looks at whether damage or inflammation in the nose's smell tissue leads to changes in brain circuits that cause low motivation and social difficulties in adolescents and adults with schizophrenia.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Johns Hopkins University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Baltimore, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11258881 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers will examine how inflammation in the olfactory epithelium (the nose's smell tissue) changes signals that travel through the olfactory bulb and related brain areas to the prefrontal cortex. They will produce chronic, localized inflammation in the olfactory tissue and then measure changes in the strength of excitatory inputs onto prefrontal neurons and the wiring of olfactory-prefrontal circuits. The work focuses on adolescence and young adulthood because that is a critical time for prefrontal development and for the emergence of negative symptoms like anhedonia and avolition. By linking nose-level changes to higher brain function, the team aims to explain why smell problems correlate with motivation and social-cognitive deficits in schizophrenia.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates would be adolescents and adults with schizophrenia, especially those who have measurable smell deficits and prominent negative symptoms such as low motivation or social-cognitive problems.
Not a fit: People without schizophrenia or whose symptoms are primarily positive (hallucinations or delusions) are unlikely to gain direct benefit from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to new ways to prevent or treat low motivation and social difficulties in schizophrenia by targeting the nose or the brain pathways that connect smell to the prefrontal cortex.
How similar studies have performed: Previous studies have repeatedly found smell loss and links to negative symptoms in schizophrenia, but directly linking nasal inflammation to prefrontal circuit dysfunction is a newer and less-tested idea.
Where this research is happening
Baltimore, United States
- Johns Hopkins University — Baltimore, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Ma, Minghong — Johns Hopkins University
- Study coordinator: Ma, Minghong
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.