Topic: basal forebrain cholinergic activation

Olfactory dysfunction is an early symptom of Alzheimer’s disease (AD). The olfactory bulb and neocortex receive cholinergic basal forebrain inputs which degenerate in AD patients. Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) in the brain play a crucial role in vasodilation in the neocortex induced by basal forebrain cholinergic activation or nicotine injection. Information about the sense of smell is conveyed by the olfactory nerve, or by the intranasal trigeminal nerve when irritating odors. We recently reported that nicotine potentiates the olfactory bulb vasodilation induced by olfactory nerv