Chemosensory properties of human sweat

Publikation: Beitrag in FachzeitschriftForschungsartikelBeigetragenBegutachtung

Beitragende

  • R. Zernecke - , Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU) (Autor:in)
  • A. M. Kleemann - , Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU) (Autor:in)
  • K. Haegler - , Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU) (Autor:in)
  • J. Albrecht - , Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU), Monell Chemical Senses Center (Autor:in)
  • B. Vollmer - , Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU) (Autor:in)
  • J. Linn - , Klinikum der Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) München, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU) (Autor:in)
  • H. Brückmann - , Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU) (Autor:in)
  • M. Wiesmann - , Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU), Helios Kliniken Gruppe (Autor:in)

Abstract

Human sweat contains a mixture of odorants with trigeminal as well as olfactory properties. It has been shown that trigeminal perception is necessary to localize odors and that humans are not able to localize substances that only activate the olfactory system. To analyze the chemosensory properties of human sweat, we studied humans' ability to localize sweat stimuli to the different nostrils. Human sweat was collected during a bicycle workout (20 males) and was then applied to 34 different subjects (17 females) during odor detection and localization experiments by using an olfactometer. During the detection experiment, subjects were instructed to discriminate between sweat stimuli (20) and blanks (10). During the localization experiment, they were assigned to allocate the stimuli to either the right (15) or the left nostril (15). We found that subjects were able to detect the sweat stimuli with moderate to high sensitivity. However, they failed to localize the sweat stimuli to the accurate nostril above chance level. Due to this inability to localize the stimuli, we conclude that human sweat does not activate the intranasal trigeminal system but only the olfactory system.

Details

OriginalspracheEnglisch
Seiten (von - bis)101-108
Seitenumfang8
FachzeitschriftChemical senses
Jahrgang35
Ausgabenummer2
PublikationsstatusVeröffentlicht - 30 Nov. 2009
Peer-Review-StatusJa
Extern publiziertJa

Externe IDs

PubMed 19948559

Schlagworte

Schlagwörter

  • Body odors, Detection, Localization, Olfactory, Trigeminal