Mitraliska

Mitraliska is a Swedish term used to refer to the mitral cells, the principal neurons of the olfactory bulb. These cells reside in the mitral cell layer of the olfactory bulb and, in Swedish neuroscience literature, mitraliska describes this population or its properties.

Mitraliska receive input from olfactory receptor neurons via structures called glomeruli. Each mitral cell typically has a single prominent apical dendrite that extends into a glomerulus, while its soma remains in the mitral cell layer. The axons of mitral cells project to higher brain regions through the lateral olfactory tract, targeting primary olfactory cortex structures such as the piriform cortex, as well as parts of the amygdala and entorhinal cortex. In this way, mitraliska play a central role in relaying and beginning the processing of odor information.

In addition to feedforward signaling, mitraliska participate in local circuits within the olfactory bulb through interactions with granule cells and periglomerular cells, including dendrodendritic synapses that enable lateral inhibition and sharpening of odor representations. They contribute to temporal coding and the formation of an odor map that helps distinguish microbial, chemical, and environmental odor features.

Clinical relevance: Changes in mitral cell function or olfactory bulb integrity can contribute to smell disorders. Olfactory impairment is often an early symptom in several neurodegenerative diseases and can reflect alterations in olfactory bulb circuitry, including mitral-cell networks.

Etymology: The term derives from historical naming of mitral cells; mitraliska serves as the adjectival or nominal form used in Swedish to describe this cell population.