Brain response in allergic rhinitis: Profile and proposal

J Neurosci Res. 2023 Apr;101(4):480-491. doi: 10.1002/jnr.25159. Epub 2022 Dec 23.

Abstract

In addition to typical nasal symptoms, patients with allergic rhinitis (AR) will further lead to symptoms related to brain function such as hyposmia, anxiety, depression, cognitive impairment, memory loss, etc., which seriously affect the quality of life of patients and bring a heavy burden to the patient's family and society. Some scholars have speculated that there may be potential "nose-brain communication" mechanism in AR that rely on neuro-immunity. This mechanism plays an important role in AR-associated brain response process. However, no study has directly demonstrated which neural circuits will change in the connection between the nose and brain during the onset of AR, and the mechanism which underlines this question is also lack. Focusing on the topic of "nose-brain communication", this paper systematically summarizes the latest research progress between AR and related brain responses and discusses the mechanism of AR-related neurological phenotypes. Hope new diagnostic and therapeutic targets to ameliorate the brain function-related symptoms and improve the quality of life of AR patients will be developed.

Keywords: allergic rhinitis; inflammatory mediators; neuro-immune; neurological symptoms; nose-brain communication.

Publication types

  • Review
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Brain
  • Humans
  • Quality of Life*
  • Rhinitis, Allergic* / diagnosis
  • Rhinitis, Allergic* / therapy