Smell and 3D Haptic Representation: A Common Pathway to Understand Brain Dynamics in a Cross-Modal Task. A Pilot OERP and fNIRS Study

Unveiling brain response mechanisms of citrus flavor perception: An EEG-based study on sensory and cognitive responses

Citrus flavors are globally popular in food industry, yet research on the perceptual preferences of various citrus flavors is limited. Based on the subjective sensory evaluation, this study introduces a novel sensory analysis approach, using electroencephalography (EEG), to objectively measure the sensory and cognitive responses to nine citrus flavors, including d-limonene, concentrated (H-) and original essential oils of sweet orange (SEO), bergamot EO (BEO), lemon EO (LEO), and grapefruit EO (GEO). Results revealed that δ (0.5-4 Hz) and α (8-13 Hz) waves activity predominated in brain responses to citrus flavor, with greater activity observed in frontal and central regions compared to other areas. Sniffing citrus EOs triggered more complex and dynamic electrical activity than d-limonene, indicated by higher power density across all frequency bands (0.1-30 Hz). Interestingly, while the original citrus EOs were associated with higher self-reported acceptability, the concentrated forms elicited greater brain responses. Specifically, H-SEO and L-LEO eliciting significantly greater δ and α wave activity in the prefrontal region than their original forms (P < 0.05). A preliminary correlation was observed between brain laterality in α waves power and acceptability scores of citrus flavor, with δ waves power in the prefrontal region further demonstrating an effective reflection of self-reported acceptability scores for SEO and LEO stimuli. This is the first EEG-based study to compare brain responses to different citrus flavors, providing important implications for the food industry in optimizing product formulations and enhancing consumer experiences.

Exploratory Study on Chemosensory Event-Related Potentials in Long COVID-19 and Mild Cognitive Impairment: A Common Pathway?

People affected by the Long COVID-19 (LC) syndrome often show clinical manifestations that are similar to those observed in patients with mild cognitive impairments (MCI), such as olfactory dysfunction (OD), brain fog, and cognitive and attentional diseases. This study aimed to investigate the chemosensory-evoked related potentials (CSERP) in LC and MCI to understand if there is a common pathway for the similarity of symptoms associated with these disorders. Eighteen LC patients (mean age 53; s.d. = 7), 12 patients diagnosed with MCI (mean age 67; s.d. = 6), and 10 healthy control subjects (mean age 66; s.d. = 5, 7) were recruited for this exploratory study. All of them performed a chemosensory event-related potentials (CSERP) task with the administration of trigeminal stimulations (e.g., the odorants cinnamaldehyde and eucalyptus). Study results highlighted that MCI and LC showed reduced N1 amplitude, particularly in the left frontoparietal network, involved in working memory and attentional deficits, and a reduction of P3 latency in LC. This study lays the foundations for evaluating aspects of LC as a process that could trigger long-term functional alterations, and CSERPs could be considered valid biomarkers for assessing the progress of OD and an indicator of other impairments (e.g., attentional and cognitive impairments), as they occur in MCI.

fNIRS neuroimaging in olfactory research: A systematic literature review

There are a number of key features which make olfaction difficult to study; subjective processes of odor detection, discrimination and identification, and individualistic odor hedonic perception and associated odor memories. In this systematic review we explore the role functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) has played in understanding olfactory perception in humans. fNIRS is an optical neuroimaging technique able to measure changes in brain hemodynamics and oxygenation related to neural electrical activity. Adhering to PRISMA guidelines, results of this search found that generally the majority of studies involving healthy adult subjects observed increased activity in response to odors. Other population types were also observed, such as infants, individuals with autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and dysosmia. fNIRS coverage heavily favored the prefrontal cortex, temporal and parietal regions. This review finds that odor induced cortical activation is dependent on multiple factors, such as odorant type, gender and population type. This review also finds that there is room for improvement in areas such as participant diversity, use of wearable fNIRS systems, physiological monitoring and multi-distance channels.

Viewing neurovascular coupling through the lens of combined EEG-fNIRS: A systematic review of current methods

Neurovascular coupling is a key physiological mechanism that occurs in the healthy human brain, and understanding this process has implications for understanding the aging and neuropsychiatric populations. Combined electroencephalography (EEG) and functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) has emerged as a promising, noninvasive tool for probing neurovascular interactions in humans. However, the utility of this approach critically depends on the methodological quality used for multimodal integration. Despite a growing number of combined EEG-fNIRS applications reported in recent years, the methodological rigor of past studies remains unclear, limiting the accurate interpretation of reported findings and hindering the translational application of this multimodal approach. To fill this knowledge gap, we critically evaluated various methodological aspects of previous combined EEG-fNIRS studies performed in healthy individuals. A literature search was conducted using PubMed and PsycINFO on June 28, 2021. Studies involving concurrent EEG and fNIRS measurements in awake and healthy individuals were selected. After screening and eligibility assessment, 96 studies were included in the methodological evaluation. Specifically, we critically reviewed various aspects of participant sampling, experimental design, signal acquisition, data preprocessing, outcome selection, data analysis, and results presentation reported in these studies. Altogether, we identified several notable strengths and limitations of the existing EEG-fNIRS literature. In light of these limitations and the features of combined EEG-fNIRS, recommendations are made to improve and standardize research practices to facilitate the use of combined EEG-fNIRS when studying healthy neurovascular coupling processes and alterations in neurovascular coupling among various populations.