Demographic and geographical determinants of human olfactory perception of 909 individuals inhabiting 16 regions

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Eva Drnovsek - , Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus Dresden (Author)
  • Nixon M. Abraham - , Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Pune (Author)
  • Jancy N. Abraham - , Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Pune, Shiv Nadar University (Author)
  • Rafieh Alizadeh - , Iran University of Medical Sciences (Author)
  • Ines Aloulou - , Université de Tunis El Manar (Author)
  • Lixin Chen - , Southern Medical University (Author)
  • Ma Lourdes Berioso Enecilla - , St. Luke's Medical Center Quezon City (Author)
  • Marco Aurélio Fornazieri - , Universidade Estadual de Londrina, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná (Author)
  • Johannes Frasnelli - , Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières (Author)
  • Juan Martin Fuselli - , Hospital Naval Dr. Pedro Mallo (Author)
  • Fatima Gansatao - , East Avenue Medical Center (Author)
  • Cagdas Guducu - , Dokuz Eylul University (Author)
  • Anna Kristina Hernandez - , Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus Dresden, Philippine General Hospital (Author)
  • Marlise K. Hofer - , University of Victoria BC (Author)
  • Salina Husain - , Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (Author)
  • Reda Kamel - , Cairo University (Author)
  • Vitoria F. Khouri - , Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Paraná (Author)
  • Francesco Loy - , University of Cagliari (Author)
  • Mehmet K. Mahmut - , Macquarie University (Author)
  • Daniel Marek - , University of Wrocław (Author)
  • Carla Masala - , University of Cagliari (Author)
  • Natália Medeiros Dias Lopes - , GEM – Center of Excellence in Research, Teaching, and Health Care (Author)
  • Élizabeth Michaluk - , Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières (Author)
  • Imen Miri - , Université de Tunis El Manar (Author)
  • Marjan Mirsalehi - , Iran University of Medical Sciences (Author)
  • Plamena Miteva - , Medical Faculty Carl Gustav Carus (Author)
  • Anasuha Musa - , Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (Author)
  • Hanène Naija - , Université de Tunis El Manar (Author)
  • Keigo Nakaachi - , Nippon Medical School (Author)
  • Michal Pieniak - , Macquarie University, University of Wrocław (Author)
  • Jayant M. Pinto - , Pritzker School of Medicine (Author)
  • Patricia Portillo Mazal - , Hospital Naval Dr. Pedro Mallo, Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires (Author)
  • Ahmed Radwan - , Cairo University (Author)
  • Farhad Rafiei - , Iran University of Medical Sciences (Author)
  • Devesh Rawat - , Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Pune (Author)
  • Aleksandra Reichert - , University of Wrocław (Author)
  • Henrique O. Scussiatto - , Pritzker School of Medicine (Author)
  • Hozifa Alsaid Sheta - , Cairo University (Author)
  • Sharanya M. Thodupunoori - , Pritzker School of Medicine (Author)
  • Brianna J. Turner - , University of Victoria BC (Author)
  • Hangying Wu - , Southern Medical University (Author)
  • Fiona Wylie - , Macquarie University (Author)
  • Ayaho Yoshino - , Nippon Medical School (Author)
  • Laiquan Zou - , Southern Medical University (Author)
  • Barbara Zyzelewicz - , University of Wrocław (Author)
  • Gregory N. Bratman - , University of Washington (Author)
  • Asifa Majid - , University of Oxford (Author)
  • Thomas Hummel - , Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus Dresden (Author)
  • Anna Oleszkiewicz - , Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus Dresden, University of Wrocław (Author)

Abstract

The hedonic perception of odors is similar worldwide. However, our perception of smells is much more than just determining whether an odor is pleasant or not. Here, we expanded this assessment by recruiting 909 people from 16 regions of the world and measuring 12 perceptual dimensions (e.g., pleasantness, intensity, edibility), which were aggregated into an olfactory perceptual fingerprint. We used two fingerprints: descriptor-specific and odor-specific. Age, gender, and region explained 1.1%, 0.3%, and 9.6% of variance in the descriptor-specific fingerprints, respectively. Similarly, age, gender, and region explained 0.5%, 0.3%, and 8.2% of variance in the odor-specific fingerprints. Interestingly, odor intensity was more regionally dependent than pleasantness. Thus, olfactory perception across the globe may be better differentiated by odor intensity than pleasantness. Although there is some influence of individual and cultural backgrounds, human perception of odors appears to be quite similar worldwide, even when assessed using 12 perceptual dimensions.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Article number113455
JournaliScience
Volume28
Issue number10
Publication statusPublished - 17 Oct 2025
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

ORCID /0000-0001-9713-0183/work/194825595
ORCID /0000-0001-6711-7359/work/194826443

Keywords

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Keywords

  • Biological sciences, Clinical neuroscience, Natural sciences, Neuroscience, Sensory neuroscience