Odorant concentration dependence in electroolfactograms recorded from the human olfactory epithelium

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Hadas Lapid - , Weizmann Institute of Science (Author)
  • Han-Seok Seo - , Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery (Author)
  • Benno Schuster - , Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery (Author)
  • Elad Schneidman - , Weizmann Institute of Science (Author)
  • Yehudah Roth - , Edith Wolfson Medical Center Israel (Author)
  • David Harel - , Weizmann Institute of Science (Author)
  • Noam Sobel - , Weizmann Institute of Science (Author)
  • Thomas Hummel - , Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery (Author)

Abstract

Electroolfactograms (EOGs) are the summated generator potentials of olfactory receptor neurons measured directly from the olfactory epithelium. To validate the sensory origin of the human EOG, we set out to ask whether EOGs measured in humans were odorant concentration dependent. Each of 22 subjects (12 women, mean age = 23.3 yr) was tested with two odorants, either valeric acid and linalool (n = 12) or isovaleric acid and l-carvone (n = 10), each delivered at four concentrations diluted with warm (37 degrees C) and humidified (80%) odorless air. In behavior, increased odorant concentration was associated with increased perceived intensity (all F > 5, all P < 0.001). In EOG, increased odorant concentration was associated with increased area under the EOG curve (all F > 8, all P < 0.001). These findings substantiate EOG as a tool for probing olfactory coding directly at the level of olfactory receptor neurons in humans.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)2121-30
Number of pages10
JournalJournal of neurophysiology
Volume102
Issue number4
Publication statusPublished - Oct 2009
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

Scopus 70350331901
ORCID /0000-0001-9713-0183/work/164619734

Keywords

Keywords

  • Acyclic Monoterpenes, Algorithms, Area Under Curve, Cyclohexane Monoterpenes, Dose-Response Relationship, Drug, Electrodiagnosis/instrumentation, Evoked Potentials, Female, Hemiterpenes, Humans, Male, Monoterpenes/administration & dosage, Odorants, Olfactory Mucosa/physiology, Pentanoic Acids/administration & dosage, Physical Stimulation, Principal Component Analysis, Psychophysics, Smell/physiology, Young Adult