1
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Odor discrimination is immune to the effects of verbal labels. Sci Rep 2023; 13:1742. [PMID: 36720925 PMCID: PMC9889793 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-28134-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 01/13/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
For many odors that we encounter in daily life, we perceive their qualities without being able to specifically identify their sources-an experience termed the "tip-of-the-nose" phenomenon. Does learning an odor's identity alter our experience of it? Past work has shown that labeling odors can alter how we describe and react to them, but it remains an open question whether such changes extend to the level of perception, making an odor actually smell different. Here, in a set of odor classification experiments we tested whether attaching labels to odors can alter their perceptual discriminability. We found that even for odors whose reported similarity changed markedly when their identities were revealed, their discriminability remained unchanged by labels. Our findings indicate that two critical functions of olfaction-parsing the odor environment and supporting the subjective experience of odor qualities-access distinct odor representations within the olfactory processing stream.
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2
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Familiarity and identification of everyday food odors in older adults and their influence on hedonic liking. Food Qual Prefer 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.foodqual.2022.104715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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3
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Spence C. Odour hedonics and the ubiquitous appeal of vanilla. NATURE FOOD 2022; 3:837-846. [PMID: 37117893 DOI: 10.1038/s43016-022-00611-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 04/30/2023]
Abstract
Our food choices and consumption behaviours are often influenced by odour hedonics, especially in the case of those orthonasally experienced aromas (that is, those odours that are food-related). The origins of odour hedonics remain one of the most intriguing puzzles in olfactory science and, over the years, several fundamentally different accounts have been put forwards to try and explain the varying hedonic responses that people have to a wide range of odorants. Associative learning, innate and molecular accounts of odour pleasantness have all been suggested. Here the origins of the hedonic response to vanilla, which is one of the most liked smells cross-culturally, are explored. The history of vanilla's use in food and medicine is outlined, with a focus on its neurocognitive appeal. While vanilla is one of the most widely liked aromas, it is also rated as smelling sweet to most people. Food scientists are becoming increasingly interested in the possibility that such 'sweet smells' could be used to help maintain the sweetness of commercial food products while, at the same time, reducing the use of calorific sweeteners. Such an approach is likely to be facilitated by the low cost of artificial vanilla flavouring (when compared with the high and fluctuating price of natural vanilla pods).
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles Spence
- Crossmodal Research Laboratory, Oxford University, Oxford, UK.
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4
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Bousquet C, Bouchoucha K, Bensafi M, Ferdenzi C. Phantom smells: a prevalent COVID-19 symptom that progressively sets in. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol 2022; 280:1219-1229. [PMID: 36173444 PMCID: PMC9521006 DOI: 10.1007/s00405-022-07649-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE One of the long-term symptoms of COVID-19 is phantosmia, a type of Olfactory Disorder (OD) that has deleterious impacts on patients' quality of life. The aim of this article was to study how this poorly understood qualitative OD manifests itself in the COVID-19. METHODS 4691 patients with COVID-19 responded to our online questionnaire focusing on COVID-19-related OD. We first analyzed the prevalence of phantosmia in this population. Then, with the help of Natural Language Processing techniques, we investigated the qualitative descriptions of phantom smells by the 1723 respondents who reported phantosmia. RESULTS The prevalence of phantosmia was of 37%. Women were more likely to report phantosmia than men, as well as respondents for whom OD was described as fluctuating rather than permanent, lasted longer, was partial rather than total and appeared progressively rather than suddenly. The relationship between OD duration and phantosmia followed a logarithmic function, with a prevalence of phantosmia increasing strongly during the first 2 months of the disease before reaching a plateau and no decrease over the 15 months considered in this study. Qualitative analyses of phantosmia descriptions with a sentiment analysis revealed that the descriptions were negatively valenced for 78% of the respondents. Reference to "tobacco" was more frequent in non-smokers. Source names and odor characteristics were used differently according to age and OD duration. CONCLUSION The results of this descriptive study of phantosmia contribute to the current efforts of the medical community to better understand and treat this rapidly increasing COVID-19-related OD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christophe Bousquet
- Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, CNRS UMR5292, INSERM U1028, University Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CH Le Vinatier, Bât. 462 Neurocampus, 95 boulevard Pinel, 69675 Bron Cedex, France
| | - Kamar Bouchoucha
- Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, CNRS UMR5292, INSERM U1028, University Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CH Le Vinatier, Bât. 462 Neurocampus, 95 boulevard Pinel, 69675 Bron Cedex, France
| | - Moustafa Bensafi
- Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, CNRS UMR5292, INSERM U1028, University Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CH Le Vinatier, Bât. 462 Neurocampus, 95 boulevard Pinel, 69675 Bron Cedex, France
| | - Camille Ferdenzi
- Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, CNRS UMR5292, INSERM U1028, University Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CH Le Vinatier, Bât. 462 Neurocampus, 95 boulevard Pinel, 69675 Bron Cedex, France
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5
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The perception of odor pleasantness is shared across cultures. Curr Biol 2022; 32:2061-2066.e3. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.02.062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2021] [Revised: 12/16/2021] [Accepted: 02/22/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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6
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The human olfactory bulb processes odor valence representation and cues motor avoidance behavior. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2101209118. [PMID: 34645711 PMCID: PMC8545486 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2101209118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Determining the valence of an odor to guide rapid approach-avoidance behavior is thought to be one of the core tasks of the olfactory system, and yet little is known of the initial neural mechanisms supporting this process or of its subsequent behavioral manifestation in humans. In two experiments, we measured the functional processing of odor valence perception in the human olfactory bulb (OB)-the first processing stage of the olfactory system-using a noninvasive method as well as assessed the subsequent motor avoidance response. We demonstrate that odor valence perception is associated with both gamma and beta activity in the human OB. Moreover, we show that negative, but not positive, odors initiate an early beta response in the OB, a response that is linked to a preparatory neural motor response in the motor cortex. Finally, in a separate experiment, we show that negative odors trigger a full-body motor avoidance response, manifested as a rapid leaning away from the odor, within the time period predicted by the OB results. Taken together, these results demonstrate that the human OB processes odor valence in a sequential manner in both the gamma and beta frequency bands and suggest that rapid processing of unpleasant odors in the OB might underlie rapid approach-avoidance decisions.
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7
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Cornell Kärnekull* S, Gerdfeldter B, Larsson M, Arshamian A. Verbally Induced Olfactory Illusions Are Not Caused by Visual Processing: Evidence From Early and Late Blindness. Iperception 2021; 12:20416695211016483. [PMID: 34094498 PMCID: PMC8142011 DOI: 10.1177/20416695211016483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2020] [Accepted: 04/02/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Olfactory perception is malleable and easily modulated by top-down processes such as those induced by visual and verbal information. A classic example of this is olfactory illusions where the perceived pleasantness of an odor is manipulated by the valence of a verbal label that is either visually or auditorily presented together with the odor. The mechanism behind this illusion is still unknown, and it is not clear if it is driven only by verbal information or if there is an interaction between language functions and visual mental imagery processes. One way to test this directly is to study early blind individuals who have little or no experience of visual information or visual mental imagery. Here, we did this by testing early blind, late blind, and sighted individuals in a classical paradigm where odors were presented with negative, neutral, and positive labels via speech. In contrast to our hypothesis-that the lack of visual imagery would render early blind individuals less susceptible to the olfactory illusion-early and late blind participants showed more amplified illusions than sighted. These findings demonstrate that the general mechanism underlying verbally induced olfactory illusions is not caused by visual processing and visual mental imagery per se.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stina Cornell Kärnekull*
- Gösta Ekman Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden; Division of Psychology, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Billy Gerdfeldter
- Gösta Ekman Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden; Division of Psychology, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Maria Larsson
- Gösta Ekman Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden; Division of Psychology, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Artin Arshamian
- Gösta Ekman Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden; Division of Psychology, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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8
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Assessment of odor hedonic perception: the Sniffin' sticks parosmia test (SSParoT). Sci Rep 2020; 10:18019. [PMID: 33093474 PMCID: PMC7581750 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-74967-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2020] [Accepted: 09/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Qualitative olfactory dysfunction is characterized as distorted odor perception and can have a profound effect on quality of life of affected individuals. Parosmia and phantosmia represent the two main subgroups of qualitative impairment and are currently diagnosed based on patient history only. We have developed a test method which measures qualitative olfactory function based on the odors of the Sniffin’ Sticks Identification subtest. The newly developed test is called Sniffin’ Sticks Parosmia Test (SSParoT). SSParoT uses hedonic estimates of two oppositely valenced odors (pleasant and unpleasant) to assess hedonic range (HR) and hedonic direction (HD), which represent qualitative olfactory perception. HR is defined as the perceivable hedonic distance between two oppositely valenced odors, while HD serves as an indicator for overall hedonic perception of odors. This multicenter study enrolled a total of 162 normosmic subjects in four consecutive experiments. Cluster analysis was used to group odors from the 16-item Sniffin’ Sticks Identification test and 24-additional odors into clusters with distinct hedonic properties. Eleven odor pairs were found to be suitable for estimation of HR and HD. Analysis showed agreement between test–retest sessions for all odor pairs. SSparoT might emerge as a valuable tool to assess qualitative olfactory function in health and disease.
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9
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Abstract
The functional basis of disgust in disease avoidance is widely accepted; however, there is disagreement over what disgust is. This is a significant problem, as basic questions about disgust require knowing if single/multiple forms/processes exist. We address this issue with a new model with one form of disgust generated by multiple processes: (a) pure disgust experienced during gastrointestinal illness; (b) somatosensory disgust elicited by specific cues that activate the pure disgust state; (c) anticipatory disgust elicited by associations between distance cues for somatosensory disgust and requiring threat evaluation; (d) simulated disgusts elicited by imagining somatosensory and anticipatory disgust and frequently involving other emotions. Different contamination processes interlink (a–d). The implications of our model for fundamental questions about disgust (e.g., emotion status; continuation into animals) are examined.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Trevor I. Case
- Department of Psychology, Macquarie University, Australia
| | - Megan J. Oaten
- School of Applied Psychology, Griffith University, Australia
| | | | - Supreet Saluja
- Department of Psychology, Macquarie University, Australia
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10
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Miskovic V, Anderson AK. Modality general and modality specific coding of hedonic valence. Curr Opin Behav Sci 2018; 19:91-97. [PMID: 29967806 DOI: 10.1016/j.cobeha.2017.12.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
The pleasant or unpleasant qualities that attach to our perceptions help to determine whether we approach or avoid environmental stimuli, shaping their affordances. How do brains create this affective perceptual dimension? The traditional answer is that sensory areas serve only as conduits for external impressions that are then modulated by heteromodal limbic structures in subsequent phases. Here we raise the possibility that, in addition to these well established gain control effects, sensory systems might also have a more direct role in representing the pleasantness component of perception, as supported by several strands of recent brain imaging evidence. In conjunction with a shared valence code that is independent of its sensory origins, valence representations interleaved within sensory brain areas may support finer grained experiential distinctions between how things look, sound, feel, taste and smell good or bad to us, offering a higher dimensional space of evaluative discriminations.
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Affiliation(s)
- V Miskovic
- Department of Psychology, State University of New York at Binghamton, United States.,Center for Affective Science, State University of New York at Binghamton, United States
| | - A K Anderson
- Department of Human Development and Human Neuroscience Institute, Cornell University, United States
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11
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Ross M, Mason GJ. The effects of preferred natural stimuli on humans' affective states, physiological stress and mental health, and the potential implications for well-being in captive animals. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2017; 83:46-62. [PMID: 28916271 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2017.09.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2017] [Revised: 07/15/2017] [Accepted: 09/08/2017] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Exposure to certain natural stimuli improves people's moods, reduces stress, enhances stress resilience, and promotes mental and physical health. Laboratory studies and real estate prices also reveal that humans prefer environments containing a broad range of natural stimuli. Potential mediators of these outcomes include: 1) therapeutic effects of specific natural products; 2) positive affective responses to stimuli that signalled safety and resources to our evolutionary ancestors; 3) attraction to environments that satisfy innate needs to explore and understand; and 4) ease of sensory processing, due to the stimuli's "evolutionary familiarity" and/or their fractal, self-repeating properties. These processes, and the benefits humans gain from natural stimuli, seem to be largely innate. They thus have strong implications for other species (including laboratory, farm and zoo animals living in environments devoid of natural stimuli), suggesting that they too may have nature-related "sensory needs". By promoting positive affect and stress resilience, preferred natural stimuli (including views, sounds and odours) could therefore potentially provide effective and efficient ways to improve captive animal well-being.
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Affiliation(s)
- Misha Ross
- Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Rd E, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Georgia J Mason
- Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Rd E, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada.
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12
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Loos HM, Doucet S, Védrines F, Sharapa C, Soussignan R, Durand K, Sagot P, Buettner A, Schaal B. Responses of Human Neonates to Highly Diluted Odorants from Sweat. J Chem Ecol 2017; 43:106-117. [PMID: 28062945 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-016-0804-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2016] [Revised: 10/16/2016] [Accepted: 12/15/2016] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Conjugated forms of odorants contributing to sweat odor occur not only in human sweat but also in amniotic fluid, colostrum, and milk. However, it is unclear whether the released odorants are detected and hedonically discriminated by human newborns. To investigate this issue, we administered highly diluted solutions of (R)/(S)-3-methyl-3-sulfanylhexan-1-ol (MSH), (R)/(S)-3-sulfanylhexan-1-ol (SH), (E)/(Z)-3-methylhex-2-enoic acid (3M2H), and (R)/(S)-3-hydroxy-3-methylhexanoic acid (HMHA) to 3-d-old infants while their respiratory rate and oro-facial movements were recorded. Adult sensitivity to these odorants was assessed via triangle tests. Whereas no neonatal stimulus-specific response was found for respiratory rate, oro-facial reactivity indicated orthonasal detection of MSH and SH by male neonates, and of HMHA by the whole group of neonates. Dependent on the dilution of odorants, newborns evinced neutral responses or longer negative oro-facial expressions compared with the reference stimuli. Finally, newborns appeared to be more sensitive to the target odorants than did adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helene M Loos
- Developmental Ethology and Cognitive Psychology Group, Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, CNRS-Université de Bourgogne, 9E bd Jeanne d'Arc, 21000, Dijon, France. .,Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Emil Fischer Center, Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Henkestraße 9, 91054, Erlangen, Germany. .,Department of Sensory Analytics, Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging IVV, Giggenhauser Straße 35, 85354, Freising, Germany.
| | - Sébastien Doucet
- Developmental Ethology and Cognitive Psychology Group, Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, CNRS-Université de Bourgogne, 9E bd Jeanne d'Arc, 21000, Dijon, France.,Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Emil Fischer Center, Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Henkestraße 9, 91054, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Fanny Védrines
- Developmental Ethology and Cognitive Psychology Group, Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, CNRS-Université de Bourgogne, 9E bd Jeanne d'Arc, 21000, Dijon, France
| | - Constanze Sharapa
- Department of Sensory Analytics, Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging IVV, Giggenhauser Straße 35, 85354, Freising, Germany
| | - Robert Soussignan
- Developmental Ethology and Cognitive Psychology Group, Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, CNRS-Université de Bourgogne, 9E bd Jeanne d'Arc, 21000, Dijon, France
| | - Karine Durand
- Developmental Ethology and Cognitive Psychology Group, Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, CNRS-Université de Bourgogne, 9E bd Jeanne d'Arc, 21000, Dijon, France
| | - Paul Sagot
- Department of Gynecology, Obstetrics and Reproductive Biology, University Hospital Dijon, 1 bd Jeanne d'Arc, 21079, Dijon, France
| | - Andrea Buettner
- Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Emil Fischer Center, Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Henkestraße 9, 91054, Erlangen, Germany.,Department of Sensory Analytics, Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging IVV, Giggenhauser Straße 35, 85354, Freising, Germany
| | - Benoist Schaal
- Developmental Ethology and Cognitive Psychology Group, Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, CNRS-Université de Bourgogne, 9E bd Jeanne d'Arc, 21000, Dijon, France
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13
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Fournel A, Ferdenzi C, Sezille C, Rouby C, Bensafi M. Multidimensional representation of odors in the human olfactory cortex. Hum Brain Mapp 2016; 37:2161-72. [PMID: 26991044 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.23164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2015] [Revised: 02/09/2016] [Accepted: 02/18/2016] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
What is known as an odor object is an integrated representation constructed from physical features, and perceptual attributes mainly mediated by the olfactory and trigeminal systems. The aim of the present study was to comprehend how this multidimensional representation is organized, by deciphering how similarities in the physical, olfactory and trigeminal perceptual spaces of odors are represented in the human brain. To achieve this aim, we combined psychophysics, functional MRI and multivariate representational similarity analysis. Participants were asked to smell odors diffused by an fMRI-compatible olfactometer and to rate each smell along olfactory dimensions (pleasantness, intensity, familiarity and edibility) and trigeminal dimensions (irritation, coolness, warmth and pain). An event-related design was implemented, presenting different odorants. Results revealed that (i) pairwise odorant similarities in anterior piriform cortex (PC) activity correlated with pairwise odorant similarities in chemical properties (P < 0.005), (ii) similarities in posterior PC activity correlated with similarities in olfactory perceptual properties (P <0.01), and (iii) similarities in amygdala activity correlated with similarities in trigeminal perceptual properties (P < 0.01). These findings provide new evidence that extraction of physical, olfactory and trigeminal features is based on specific fine processing of similarities between odorous stimuli in a distributed manner in the olfactory system. Hum Brain Mapp 37:2161-2172, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Fournel
- Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, CNRS UMR5292, INSERM U1028, University Lyon, F-69000, France
| | - C Ferdenzi
- Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, CNRS UMR5292, INSERM U1028, University Lyon, F-69000, France
| | - C Sezille
- Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, CNRS UMR5292, INSERM U1028, University Lyon, F-69000, France
| | - C Rouby
- Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, CNRS UMR5292, INSERM U1028, University Lyon, F-69000, France
| | - M Bensafi
- Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, CNRS UMR5292, INSERM U1028, University Lyon, F-69000, France
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14
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Wehling EI, Lundervold AJ, Nordin S, Wollschlaeger D. Longitudinal Changes in Familiarity, Free and Cued Odor Identification, and Edibility Judgments for Odors in Aging Individuals. Chem Senses 2015; 41:155-61. [PMID: 26547014 DOI: 10.1093/chemse/bjv066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
This longitudinal study investigated changes in olfaction as assessed by a set of tasks requiring different aspects of semantic information in normal aging individuals. Using 16 odorous items from a standardized olfactory test, the Scandinavian Odor Identification Test, 107 middle aged and older adults were assessed up to three times over a period of 6.5 years, requesting them to rate familiarity and edibility for each odorous item before identifying it with or without presenting verbal cues. Using linear mixed models, the longitudinal analyses revealed significant correlations between all olfactory measures. Furthermore, we found an almost parallel age-related decline in all olfactory tasks, although free identification performance indicated a trend toward faster decline with age. Women showed less decline compared with men, in particular for edibility judgments. The results corroborate earlier cross-sectional findings showing significant correlations between the olfactory tasks. In the present study of healthy middle-aged and older adults, we found a parallel longitudinal decline across different tests of olfaction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eike I Wehling
- Department of Biological and Medical Psychology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway, Kavli Centre for Aging and Dementia Research, Haraldsplass Hospital, Bergen, Norway, Department for Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway,
| | - Astri J Lundervold
- Department of Biological and Medical Psychology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway, K. G. Jebsen Centre for Research on Neuropsychiatric Disorders, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway
| | - Steven Nordin
- Department of Psychology, University of Umeå, Sweden and
| | - Daniel Wollschlaeger
- Institute for Medical Statistics, Epidemiology and Informatics, University Medical Center, Johannes-Gutenberg-University Mainz, Mainz, Germany
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15
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Kamsu-Foguem B, Tiako P, Mutafungwa E, Foguem C. Knowledge-based modelling applied to synucleinopathies. Eur Geriatr Med 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.eurger.2015.02.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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16
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Martinec Nováková L, Plotěná D, Roberts SC, Havlíček J. Positive relationship between odor identification and affective responses of negatively valenced odors. Front Psychol 2015; 6:607. [PMID: 26029143 PMCID: PMC4426687 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00607] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/22/2015] [Accepted: 04/23/2015] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Hedonic ratings of odors and olfactory preferences are influenced by a number of modulating factors, such as prior experience and knowledge about an odor’s identity. The present study addresses the relationship between knowledge about an odor’s identity due to prior experience, assessed by means of a test of cued odor identification, and odor pleasantness ratings in children who exhibit ongoing olfactory learning. Ninety-one children aged 8–11 years rated the pleasantness of odors in the Sniffin’ Sticks test and, subsequently, took the odor identification test. A positive association between odor identification and pleasantness was found for two unpleasant food odors (garlic and fish): higher pleasantness ratings were exhibited by those participants who correctly identified these odors compared to those who failed to correctly identify them. However, we did not find a similar effect for any of the more pleasant odors. The results of this study suggest that pleasantness ratings of some odors may be modulated by the knowledge of their identity due to prior experience and that this relationship might be more evident in unpleasant odors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lenka Martinec Nováková
- Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Humanities, Charles University Prague, Czech Republic ; Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Dagmar Plotěná
- Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Humanities, Charles University Prague, Czech Republic
| | - S Craig Roberts
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Stirling Stirling, UK
| | - Jan Havlíček
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University Prague, Czech Republic
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17
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Dissociated neural representations induced by complex and simple odorant molecules. Neuroscience 2015; 287:23-31. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2014.12.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2014] [Revised: 12/08/2014] [Accepted: 12/09/2014] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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18
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Joussain P, Chakirian A, Kermen F, Rouby C, Bensafi M. Physicochemical influence on odor hedonics. Commun Integr Biol 2014. [DOI: 10.4161/cib.15811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
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19
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Joussain P, Rouby C, Bensafi M. A pleasant familiar odor influences perceived stress and peripheral nervous system activity during normal aging. Front Psychol 2014; 5:113. [PMID: 24596564 PMCID: PMC3925886 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2013] [Accepted: 01/27/2014] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Effects of smells on stress have been demonstrated in animals and humans, suggesting that inhaling certain odorants may counteract the negative effects of stress. Because stress plays a key role in cerebral aging, the present study set out to examine whether positive odor effects on perceived stress can be achieved in elderly individuals. To this end, two groups of aged individuals (n = 36 women, aged from 55 to 65 years), were tested. The first group was exposed for 5 days to a pleasant and, by end of exposure, familiar odor (“exposure odor”), whereas the other was exposed to a non-scented control stimulus. Stress and mood states were assessed before and after the 5-day odor exposure period. Psychophysiological markers were also assessed at the end of exposure, in response to the “exposure odor” and to a “new odor.” Results revealed that stress on this second exposure was decreased and zygomatic electromyogram activity was increased specifically in the group previously exposed to the odor (p < 0.05). Taken as a whole, these findings offer a new look at the relationship between perceived stress, olfaction and normal aging, opening up new research perspectives on the effect of olfaction on quality of life and well-being in aged individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pauline Joussain
- Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, CNRS UMR5292, INSERM U1028, University of Lyon Lyon, France
| | - Catherine Rouby
- Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, CNRS UMR5292, INSERM U1028, University of Lyon Lyon, France
| | - Moustafa Bensafi
- Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, CNRS UMR5292, INSERM U1028, University of Lyon Lyon, France
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Sezille C, Fournel A, Rouby C, Rinck F, Bensafi M. Hedonic appreciation and verbal description of pleasant and unpleasant odors in untrained, trainee cooks, flavorists, and perfumers. Front Psychol 2014; 5:12. [PMID: 24478743 PMCID: PMC3900918 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2013] [Accepted: 01/07/2014] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Olfaction is characterized by a salient hedonic dimension. Previous studies have shown that these affective responses to odors are modulated by physicochemical, physiological, and cognitive factors. The present study examined expertise influenced processing of pleasant and unpleasant odors on both perceptual and verbal levels. For this, performance on two olfactory tasks was compared between novices, trainee cooks, and experts (perfumers and flavorists): Members of all groups rated the intensity and pleasantness of pleasant and unpleasant odors (perceptual tasks). They were also asked to describe each of the 20 odorants as precisely as possible (verbal description task). On a perceptual level, results revealed that there were no group-related differences in hedonic ratings for unpleasant and pleasant odors. On a verbal level, descriptions of smells were richer (e.g., chemical, olfactory qualities, and olfactory sources terms) and did not refer to pleasantness in experts compared to untrained subjects who used terms referring to odor sources (e.g., candy) accompanied by terms referring to odor hedonics. In conclusion, the present study suggests that as novices, experts are able to perceptually discriminate odors on the basis of their pleasantness. However, on a semantic level, they conceptualize odors differently, being inclined to avoid any reference to odor hedonics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Sezille
- CNRS, UMR5292, INSERM1028, Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, University of Lyon Lyon, France
| | - Arnaud Fournel
- CNRS, UMR5292, INSERM1028, Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, University of Lyon Lyon, France
| | - Catherine Rouby
- CNRS, UMR5292, INSERM1028, Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, University of Lyon Lyon, France
| | - Fanny Rinck
- Lidilem Laboratory, University of Grenoble Grenoble, France
| | - Moustafa Bensafi
- CNRS, UMR5292, INSERM1028, Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, University of Lyon Lyon, France
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Joussain P, Thevenet M, Rouby C, Bensafi M. Effect of aging on hedonic appreciation of pleasant and unpleasant odors. PLoS One 2013; 8:e61376. [PMID: 23637821 PMCID: PMC3634785 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0061376] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2013] [Accepted: 03/08/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Does hedonic appreciation evolve differently for pleasant odors and unpleasant odors during normal aging? To answer this question we combined psychophysics and electro-encephalographic recordings in young and old adults. A first study showed that pleasant odorants (but not unpleasant ones) were rated as less pleasant by old adults. A second study validated this decrease in hedonic appreciation for agreeable odors and further showed that smelling these odorants decreased beta event-related synchronization in aged participants. In conclusion, the study offers new insights into the evolution of odor hedonic perception during normal aging, highlighting for the first time a change in processing pleasant odors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pauline Joussain
- CNRS UMR5292, INSERM U1028, Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, University Lyon, Lyon, France.
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Bensafi M, Croy I, Phillips N, Rouby C, Sezille C, Gerber J, Small DM, Hummel T. The effect of verbal context on olfactory neural responses. Hum Brain Mapp 2012; 35:810-8. [PMID: 23225581 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.22215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2012] [Revised: 09/14/2012] [Accepted: 10/02/2012] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Odor names refer usually to "source" object categories. For example, the smell of rose is often described with its source category (flower). However, linguistic studies suggest that odors can also be named with labels referring to categories of "practices". This is the case when rose odor is described with a verbal label referring to its use in fragrance practices ("body lotion," cosmetic for example). It remains unknown whether naming an odor by its practice category influences olfactory neural responses differently than that observed when named with its source category. The aim of this study was to investigate this question. To this end, functional MRI was used in a within-subjects design comparing brain responses to four different odors (peach, chocolate, linden blossom, and rose) under two conditions whereby smells were described either (1) with their source category label (food and flower) or (2) with a practice category label (body lotion). Both types of labels induced activations in secondary olfactory areas (orbitofrontal cortex), whereas only the source label condition induced activation in the cingulate cortex and the insula. In summary, our findings offer a new look at olfactory perception by indicating differential brain responses depending on whether odors are named according to their source or practice category.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moustafa Bensafi
- CNRS, UMR5292, Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, University Lyon, F-69000, France
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Valentin D, Chanquoy L. Olfactory categorization: A developmental study. J Exp Child Psychol 2012; 113:337-52. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jecp.2012.05.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2011] [Revised: 03/23/2012] [Accepted: 05/01/2012] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Brand G, Haaz V, Jacquot L. Transitivity of odor preferences: constant and particularities in hedonic perception. J Exp Anal Behav 2012; 98:191-7. [PMID: 23008522 DOI: 10.1901/jeab.2012.98-191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/29/2012] [Accepted: 05/15/2012] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Transitivity of preferences has been investigated for a long time in decision-making. In the field of perception, the pleasantness of odors raises several questions related to individual versus cultural or universal preferences and the existence of a classification in a delimited hedonic space. The aim of this study was to test transitivity in olfactory hedonicity using a first panel of 10 mixed odors and a second panel of 10 odors from a delimited floral category. Data were collected by paired comparisons in a two-alternative forced choice. Results in both panels showed a strong transitivity for each participant leading to a linear range of 10 odors classified by preference. However, ranges varied from one participant to another and the mean preferences of the group did not allow one to infer individual's hedonic classification of odors. Moreover, the individual classification appeared stable over time and undisturbed by odorant distractors. These findings suggest that humans have considerable ability to classify odors hedonically as a model of individual preferences in a sensory space usually considered to be more involved in affective/emotional states than in cognitive performances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gérard Brand
- Centre des Sciences du Gout et de L'alimentation (CSGA), Dijon, France.
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Kermen F, Chakirian A, Sezille C, Joussain P, Le Goff G, Ziessel A, Chastrette M, Mandairon N, Didier A, Rouby C, Bensafi M. Molecular complexity determines the number of olfactory notes and the pleasantness of smells. Sci Rep 2011; 1:206. [PMID: 22355721 PMCID: PMC3244502 DOI: 10.1038/srep00206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2011] [Accepted: 12/05/2011] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
One major unresolved problem in olfaction research is to relate the percept to the molecular structure of stimuli. The present study examined this issue and showed for the first time a quantitative structure-odor relationship in which the more structurally complex a monomolecular odorant, the more numerous the olfactory notes it evokes. Low-complexity odorants were also rated as more aversive, reflecting the fact that low molecular complexity may serve as a warning cue for the olfactory system. Taken together, these findings suggest that molecular complexity provides a framework to explain the subjective experience of smells.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Kermen
- INSERM, U1028, CNRS, UMR5292, Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, Neuroplasticity and Neuropathology of Olfactory Perception Team, Lyon, F-69000, France; University of Lyon, F-69000, France
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The lyon clinical olfactory test: validation and measurement of hyposmia and anosmia in healthy and diseased populations. Int J Otolaryngol 2011; 2011:203805. [PMID: 22046188 PMCID: PMC3199207 DOI: 10.1155/2011/203805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2011] [Revised: 08/07/2011] [Accepted: 08/18/2011] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
The LCOT is a self-administered test designed to assess olfactory deficits. Altogether, 525 subjects contributed to the validation. Elderly participants were well represented in this sample. In a validation study (study 1), 407 healthy and 17 anosmic volunteers between 15 and 91 years of age underwent threshold, supraliminal detection, and identification testing. Cutoff values for normosmia and hyposmia were calculated and applied in a second study in a group of patients with smell complaints and in a group of Alzheimer patients with age-matched controls. Incidence of smell deficit was estimated at 5.6% in the healthy population of study 1, and at 16% in the elderly control group of study 2. Assessment of the ability of each subtest to discriminate between groups showed that LCOT is relevant to differentiating between perception and identification deficits and between Alzheimer's and hyposmic patients.
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Joussain P, Chakirian A, Kermen F, Rouby C, Bensafi M. Physicochemical influence on odor hedonics: Where does it occur first? Commun Integr Biol 2011; 4:563-5. [PMID: 22046463 DOI: 10.4161/cib.4.5.15811] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2011] [Accepted: 04/11/2011] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
We recently reported data showing that, while human olfactory pleasantness is modulated by semantic knowledge of smells, the physicochemical aspects of odorant molecules are prominent determinants of odor hedonic valence, especially in children and seniors, two age groups characterized by either low level of (children) or weak access to (seniors) odor semantic knowledge.1 Here, we present additional data from a human and an animal study, confirming that odorant structure predicts odor pleasantness and suggesting that this influence may be already engraved at receptor level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pauline Joussain
- Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon; Université de Lyon; Lyon, France
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Hedonic judgments of chemical compounds are correlated with molecular size. SENSORS 2011; 11:3667-86. [PMID: 22163815 PMCID: PMC3231300 DOI: 10.3390/s110403667] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2011] [Revised: 03/16/2011] [Accepted: 03/23/2011] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Different psychophysical works have reported that, when a wide range of odors is assessed, the hedonic dimension is the most salient. Hence, pleasantness is the most basic attribute of odor perception. Recent studies suggest that the molecular size of a given odorant is positively correlated with its hedonic character. This correlation was confirmed in the present study, but further basic molecular features affecting pleasantness were identified by means of multiple linear regression for the compounds contained in five chemical sets. For three of them, hedonic judgments are available in the literature. For a further two chemical sets, hedonic scores were estimated from odor character descriptions based on numerical profiles. Generally speaking, fairly similar equations were obtained for the prediction of hedonic judgments in the five chemical sets, with R(2) values ranging from 0.46 to 0.71. The results suggest that larger molecules containing oxygen are more likely to be perceived as pleasant, while the opposite applies to carboxylic acids and sulfur compounds.
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