Radiological evidence to changes in the olfactory bulb volume depending on body mass index in the childhood

Energy balance is preserved through the exchange between body weight and adipose tissue across the multi-faceted complex network that is composed of the sensorial, metabolic, and neuro-endocrine circuits. The olfactory control of energy homeostasis is maintained through the interplay between the olfactory bulb (OB) and adipose tissue. While extremely studied, most researches still report controversial results and sensorial regulation of obesity is not fully understood. This study aims to investigate the interplay between olfactory bulb volume (OBV) as a radiological clue of sensorial control and obesity in children. Children (n = 195) were classified into four groups based on body mass index (BMI) percentiles: normal weight (n = 89), overweight (n = 31), obese (n = 32) and morbidly obese (n = 43). OBV were calculated using MRI. Mean OBV was higher in children with obesity than in those of normal weights. The means of OBV are found higher in the overweight and obese children (43.76 ± 9.50–49.29 ± 8.61 mm3) than in those of morbidly obese (38.23 ± 11.52 mm3) (p