Ortho- and retronasal presentation of olfactory stimuli modulates odor percepts

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Johannes Frasnelli - , TUD Dresden University of Technology, McGill University (Author)
  • Mary Ungermann - , TUD Dresden University of Technology (Author)
  • Thomas Hummel - , Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus Dresden (Author)

Abstract

Retronasal olfaction gives us information important not only for the well-being by detecting dangerous substances but also provides a basis for the pleasures of eating and drinking. However, odors presented via the retronasal route appear to evoke different sensations compared to orthonasal presentation. In this study, we differentially stimulated anterior and posterior parts of the subjects’ nasal cavity with odors. Subjects were able to tell retronasal and orthonasal smelling apart; the ability of doing so seemed to be linked to but could not completely be explained by the degree to which the odorant stimulated the trigeminal nerve. Furthermore, we examined whether food and nonfood odors were perceived as differently pleasant, depending on the presentation site. In fact, some but not all nonfood odors were described as less pleasant when they were delivered retronasally. In conclusion, the present results clearly suggest that there are differences between sensations produced by presenting odors through the retronasal or the orthonasal route, which bears significance for both basic and applied research.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)9-15
Number of pages7
JournalChemosensory perception
Volume1
Issue number1
Publication statusPublished - 1 Jan 2008
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

ORCID /0000-0001-9713-0183/work/152546004

Keywords

Keywords

  • Flavor, Lateralization, Localization, Retronasal