Skip to main content Accessibility help

We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings.

Close cookie message
×
Hostname: page-component-7479d7b7d-m9pkr Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-12T01:35:19.124Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

19 - Human Brain Activity during the First Second after Odor Presentation

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 September 2009

By
Bettina M. Pause
Edited by
Catherine Rouby ,
Benoist Schaal ,
Danièle Dubois ,
Rémi Gervais  and
A. Holley
Bettina M. Pause
Affiliation:
Institute of Psychology, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Olshausenstrasse 62, 24098 Kiel, Germany
Catherine Rouby
Affiliation:
Université Lyon I
Benoist Schaal
Affiliation:
Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Paris
Danièle Dubois
Affiliation:
Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Paris
Rémi Gervais
Affiliation:
Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Paris
A. Holley
Affiliation:
Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Paris
Get access

Summary

Voltage fluctuations above the intact human scalp are called chemosensory event-related potentials (CSERPs) (Evans et al., 1993) when these variations are caused by experimental manipulations of odor presentations. CSERPs function as indicators of the speed, strength, and local distribution of neuronal brain activity related to odor perception. CSERPs are very time-sensitive, which allows odor perception to be separated into different processing stages within the first second after odor presentation (Pause and Krauel, 2000). The aim of this chapter is to describe the biological and psychological meanings of the different processing stages. Between 300 and 500 msec after odor presentation, the specific features of the olfactory environment are encoded. This process is accompanied by a first distinct wave that appears within the CSERP; it is negatively charged and therefore is called the N1 component. The N1 component seems to reflect a pre-attentive level of stimulus encoding, but also depends on the level of the subject's alertness. The next prominent wave within the CSERP is the positively charged P3 component, appearing between 700 and 1,200 msec after odor presentation. Like the N1 component, the P3 is sensitive to the attentional investment of the subject, but in addition it is sensitive to the probability of the odor occurrence and to the subjective significance of the odor. The extraction of the significance of the olfactory event is an evaluative process that depends on cognitive and emotional resources.

Type
Chapter
Information
Olfaction, Taste, and Cognition , pp. 309 - 323
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2002

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

, Becker E, , Hummel T, , Piel E, , Pauli E, , Kobal G, & , Hautzinger M (1993). Olfactory Event-related Potentials in Psychosis-prone Subjects. International Journal of Psychophysiology 15:51–8CrossRefGoogle Scholar
, Böttcher-Gandor C & , Ullsperger P (1992). Mismatch Negativity in Event-related Potentials to Auditory Stimuli as a Function of Varying Interstimulus Interval. Psychophysiology 29:546–50CrossRefGoogle Scholar
, Brennan P A & , Keverne E B (1997). Neural Mechanisms of Mammalian Olfactory Learning. Progress in Neurobiology 51:457–81CrossRefGoogle Scholar
, Cinelli A R, , Hamilton K A, & , Kauer J S (1995). Salamander Olfactory Bulb Neuronal Activity Observed by Video Rate, Voltage-sensitive Dye Imaging. III. Spatial and Temporal Properties of Responses Evoked by Odorant Stimuli. Journal of Neurophysiology 73:2053–71CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Costanzo R M & Graziadei P P C (1987). Development and Plasticity of the Olfactory System. In: Neurobiology of Taste and Smell, ed. T E Finger & W L Silver, pp. 233–50. New York: Wiley
, Covington J W, , Geisler M W, , Polich J, & , Murphy C (1999). Normal Aging and Intensity Effects on the Olfactory Event-related Potential. International Journal of Psychophysiology 32:205–14CrossRefGoogle Scholar
, Davidson R J (1998). Affective Style and Affective Disorders: Perspectives from Affective Neuroscience. Cognition and Emotion 12:307–30CrossRefGoogle Scholar
, Diedrich O, , Naumann E, , Maier S, , Becker G, & , Bartussek D (1997). A Frontal Slow Wave in the ERP Associated with Emotional Slides. Journal of Psychophysiology 11:71–84Google Scholar
, Donchin E (1981). Surprise! … Surprise?Psychophysiology 18:493–513CrossRefGoogle Scholar
, Donchin E & , Coles M G H (1988). Is the P300 Component a Manifestation of Context Updating?Behavioural and Brain Sciences 11:357–74CrossRefGoogle Scholar
, Doty R L, , Brugger W E, , Jurs P C, , Orndorff M A, , Snyder P J, & , Lowry L D (1978). Intranasal Trigeminal Stimulation from Odorous Volatiles. Psychometric Responses from Anosmic and Normal Humans. Physiology and Behavior 20:175–85CrossRefGoogle Scholar
, Doty R L, , Shaman P, , Appelbaum S L, , Giberson R, , Sikorsky L, & , Rosenberg L (1984). Smell Identification Ability: Changes with Age. Science 226:1441–3CrossRefGoogle Scholar
, Evans W J, , Cui L, & , Starr A 1995). Olfactory Event-related Potentials in Normal Human Subjects: Effects of Age and Gender. Electroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology 95:293–301CrossRefGoogle Scholar
, Evans W J, , Kobal G, , Lorig T S, & , Prah J D (1993). Suggestions for Collection and Reporting of Chemosensory (Olfactory) Event-related Potentials. Chemical Senses 18:751–6CrossRefGoogle Scholar
, Firestein S & , Werblin F (1989). Odor-induced Membrane Currents in Vertebrate Olfactory Receptor Neurons. Science 244:79–82CrossRefGoogle Scholar
, Gower D B & , Ruparelia B A (1993). Olfaction in Humans with Special Reference to Odorous 16-Androstenes: Their Occurrence, Perception and Possible Social, Psychological and Sexual Impact. Journal of Endocrinology 137:167–87CrossRefGoogle Scholar
, Grossman M & , Wood W (1993). Sex Differences in Intensity of Emotional Experience: A Social Role Interpretation. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 65:1010–22CrossRefGoogle Scholar
, Hummel T (2000). Assessment of Trigeminal Function. International Journal of Psychophysiology 36:147–55CrossRefGoogle Scholar
, Hummel T, , Barz S, , Pauli E, & , Kobal G (1998). Chemosensory Event-related Potentials Change with Age. Electroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology 108:208–17CrossRefGoogle Scholar
, Johnson R (1993). On the Neural Generators of the P300 Component of the Event-related Potential. Psychophysiology 30:90–7Google Scholar
, Kayser J, , Bruder G E, , Tenke C E, , Stewart J W, & , Quitkin F M (2000). Event-related Potentials to Hemifield Presentations of Emotional Stimuli: Differences between Depressed Patients and Healthy Adults in P3 Amplitude and Asymmetry. International Journal of Psychophysiology 36:211–36CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Krauel K, Pause B M, Müller C, Sojka B, Müller-Ruchholtz W, & Ferstl R (1998a). Central Nervous Correlates of Chemical Communication in Humans. In: Olfaction and Taste, XII, ed. C Murphy, pp. 628–31. New York Academy of Sciences
, Krauel K, , Pause B M, , Sojka B, , Schott P, & , Ferstl R (1998b). Attentional Modulation of Central Odor Processing. Chemical Senses 23:423–32CrossRefGoogle Scholar
, Krauel K, , Schott P, , Sojka B, , Pause B M, & , Ferstl R (1999). Is There a Mismatch Negativity Analogue in the Olfactory Event-related Potential?Journal of Psychophysiology 13:49–55CrossRefGoogle Scholar
, Laing D G, , Eddy A, , Francis G W, & , Stephens L (1994). Evidence for the Temporal Processing of Odor Mixtures in Humans. Brain Research 651:317–28CrossRefGoogle Scholar
, Lang P J, , Greenwald M K, , Bradley M M, & , Hamm A O (1993). Looking at Pictures: Affective, Facial, Visceral and Behavioral Reactions. Psychophysiology 30:261–73CrossRefGoogle Scholar
, Lorig T S (1999). On the Similarity of Odor and Language Perception. Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews 23:391–8CrossRefGoogle Scholar
, Lorig T S, , Matia D C, , Peszka J J, & , Bryant D N (1996). The Effects of Active and Passive Stimulation on Chemosensory Event-related Potentials. International Journal of Psychophysiology 23:199–205CrossRefGoogle Scholar
, Lorig T S, , Sapp A C, , Campbell J, & , Cain W S (1993). Event-related Potentials to Odor Stimuli. Bulletin of the Psychonomic Society 31:131–4CrossRefGoogle Scholar
, Möller R, , Pause B M, & , Ferstl R (1999). Induzierbarkeit geruchlicher Sensitivität durch Duft-Exposition bei Personen mit spezifischer Anosmie. Zeitschrift für Experimentelle Psychologie 46:53–71Google Scholar
, Morgan C D, , Covington J W, , Geisler M W, , Polich J, & , Murphy C (1997). Olfactory Event-related Potentials: Older Males Demonstrate the Greatest Deficits. Electroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology 104:351–8CrossRefGoogle Scholar
, Morgan C D, , Geisler M W, , Covington J W, , Polich J, & , Murphy C (1999). Olfactory P3 in Young and Older Adults. Psychophysiology 36:281–7CrossRefGoogle Scholar
, Murphy C, , Nordin S, , Wijk R A, , Cain W S, & , Polich J (1994). Olfactory-evoked Potentials: Assessment of Young and Elderly, and Comparison to Psychophysical Threshold. Chemical Senses 19:47–56CrossRefGoogle Scholar
, Näätänen R (1990). The Role of Attention in Auditory Information Processing as Revealed by Event-related Potentials and Other Brain Measures of Cognitive Function. Behavioral and Brain Sciences 13:201–88CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Näätänen R (1992). Attention and Brain Function. Hillsdale, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum
, Näätänen R & , Picton T (1987). The N1 Wave of the Human Electric and Magnetic Response to Sound: A Review and an Analysis of the Component Structure. Psychophysiology 24:375–425CrossRefGoogle Scholar
, O'Connell R J, , Stevens D A, & , Zogby L M (1994). Individual Differences in the Perceived Intensity and Quality of Specific Odors following Self- and Cross-adaptation. Chemical Senses 19:197–208CrossRefGoogle Scholar
, Pause B M (1998). Differentiation of Body Odors by the Human Brain. International Journal of Psychophysiology 30:35–6CrossRefGoogle Scholar
, Pause B M, , Ferstl R, & , Fehm-Wolfsdorf G (1998). Personality and Olfactory Sensitivity. Journal of Research in Personality 32:510–18CrossRefGoogle Scholar
, Pause B M & , Krauel K (1998). Smelling without Attending?Aroma-Chology Review 7:1, 4–6Google Scholar
, Pause B M & , Krauel K (2000). Chemosensory Event-related Potentials (CSERP) as a Key to the Psychology of Odors. International Journal of Psychophysiology 36:105–22CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Pause B M, Krauel K, Eggert F, Müller C, Sojka B, Müller-Ruchholtz W, & Ferstl R (1999a). Perception of HLA-related Body Odors during the Course of the Menstrual Cycle. In: Advances in Chemical Signals in Vertebrates, ed. R E Johnston, D Müller-Schwarze, & P W Sorensen, pp. 201–7. New York: Kluwer
, Pause B M, , Krauel K, , Sojka B, & , Ferstl R (1999b). Is Odor Processing Related to Oral Breathing?International Journal of Psychophysiology 32:251–60CrossRefGoogle Scholar
, Pause B M, , Krauel K, , Sojka B, & , Ferstl R (1999c). Body Odor Evoked Potentials: A New method to Study the Chemosensory Perception of self and Non-self in Humans. Genetica 104:285–94Google Scholar
, Pause B M, , Miranda A, , Nysterud M, & , Ferstl R (2000). Geruchs- und emotionale Reizbewertung bei Patienten mit Major Depression. Zeitschrift für Klinische Psychologie und Psychotherapie 29:16–23CrossRefGoogle Scholar
, Pause B M, , Miranda A, , Raack N, , Sojka B, , Göder R, , Aldenhoff J B, & , Ferstl R (1999d).Olfaction and Affective State: Is Odor Evaluation and Perception Altered in Patients with Major Depression?Chemical Senses 24:100Google Scholar
, Pause B M, , Rogalski K P, , Sojka B, & , Ferstl R (1999e). Sensitivity to Androstenone in Female Subjects Is Associated with an Altered Brain Response to Male Body Odor. Physiology and Behavior 68:129–37CrossRefGoogle Scholar
, Pause B M, , Sojka B, & , Ferstl R (1997). Central Processing of Odor Concentration Is a Temporal Phenomenon as Revealed by Chemosensory Event-related Potentials (CSERP). Chemical Senses 22:9–26CrossRefGoogle Scholar
, Pause B M, , Sojka B, , Krauel K, , Fehm-Wolfsdorf G, & , Ferstl R (1996a). Olfactory Information Processing during the Course of Menstrual Cycle. Biological Psychology 44:31–54CrossRefGoogle Scholar
, Pause B M, , Sojka B, , Krauel K, & , Ferstl R (1996b). The Nature of the Late Positive Complex within the Olfactory Event-related Potential. Psychophysiology 33:376–84CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rockstroh B, Elbert T, Canavan A, Lutzenberger W, & Birnbaumer N (1989). Slow Cortical Potentials and Behaviour. Baltimore: Urban & Schwarzenberg
, Roth W T, , Doyle C M, , Pfefferbaum A, & , Kopell B S (1980). Effects of Stimulus Intensity on P300. Progress in Brain Research 54:296–300CrossRefGoogle Scholar
, Sokolov E N (1977). Brain Functions: Neuronal Mechanisms of Learning and Memory. Annual Review of Psychology 28:85–112CrossRefGoogle Scholar
, Stern K & , McClintock M K (1998). Regulation of Ovulation by Human Pheromones. Nature 392:177–9CrossRefGoogle Scholar
, Tateyama T, , Hummel T, , Roscher S, , Post H, & , Kobal G (1998). Relation of Olfactory Event-related Potentials to Changes in Stimulus Concentration. Electroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology 108:449–55CrossRefGoogle Scholar
, Thiele V & , Kobal G (1984). Vergleich der objektiven und subjektiven Methoden olfaktometrischer Bestimmungen – Beispiel H2S. Schriftenreihe der Landesanstalt für Immissionsschutz NW 59:41–47Google Scholar
Van Toller S (1988). Emotion and the Brain. In: Perfumery, ed. S Van Toller & G H Dodd, pp. 121–146. New York: Chapman & HallCrossRef
, Wedekind C & , Füri S (1997). Body Odour Preferences in Men and Women: Do They Aim for Specific MHC Combinations or Simply Heterozygosity?Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, Series B 264:1471–9CrossRefGoogle Scholar
, Wysocki C J, , Dorries K, & , Beauchamp G K (1989). Ability to Perceive Androstenone Can Be Aquired by Ostensibly Anosmic People. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA 86:7976–8CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wysocki C J, Pierce J D, & Gilbert A N (1991). Geographic Cross-cultural and Individual Variation in Human Olfaction. In: Smell and Taste in Health and Disease, ed. T V Getchell, R L Doty, L M Bartoshuk, & J B Snow, pp. 287–314. New York: Raven Press

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure coreplatform@cambridge.org is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

Available formats
×