Explicit Sensory Training Improves the Olfactory Sensitivity of Wine Experts

'Tasting Imagination': What Role Chemosensory Mental Imagery in Multisensory Flavour Perception?

A number of perplexing phenomena in the area of olfactory/flavour perception may fruitfully be explained by the suggestion that chemosensory mental imagery can be triggered automatically by perceptual inputs. In particular, the disconnect between the seemingly limited ability of participants in chemosensory psychophysics studies to distinguish more than two or three odorants in mixtures and the rich and detailed flavour descriptions that are sometimes reported by wine experts; the absence of awareness of chemosensory loss in many elderly individuals; and the insensitivity of the odour-induced taste enhancement (OITE) effect to the mode of presentation of olfactory stimuli (i.e., orthonasal or retronasal). The suggestion made here is that the theory of predictive coding, developed first in the visual modality, be extended to chemosensation. This may provide a fruitful way of thinking about the interaction between mental imagery and perception in the experience of aromas and flavours. Accepting such a suggestion also raises some important questions concerning the ecological validity/meaning of much of the chemosensory psychophysics literature that has been published to date.

Olfactory training - Thirteen years of research reviewed

The sense of smell is interrelated with psychosocial functioning. Olfactory disorders often decrease quality of life but treatment options for people with olfactory loss are limited. Additionally, olfactory loss accompanies and precedes psychiatric and neurodegenerative diseases. Regular, systematic exposure to a set of odors, i.e., olfactory training (OT) has been offered for rehabilitation of the sense of smell in clinical practice. As signals from the olfactory bulb are directly projected to the limbic system it has been also debated whether OT might benefit psychological functioning, i.e., mitigate cognitive deterioration or improve emotional processing. In this review we synthesize key findings on OT utility in the clinical practice and highlight the molecular, cellular, and neuroanatomical changes accompanying olfactory recovery in people with smell loss as well as in experimental animal models. We discuss how OT and its modifications have been used in interventions aiming to support cognitive functions and improve well-being. We delineate main methodological challenges in research on OT and suggest areas requiring further scientific attention.

Factors associated with relevant olfactory recovery after olfactory training: a retrospective study including 601 participants

BACKGROUND

Olfactory training (OT) represents a therapeutic option for multiple etiologies of olfactory dysfunction (OD) that also benefits normosmic subjects. In this retrospective study, we report the effectiveness of OT and factors associated with relevant changes in olfactory function (OF) in large groups of normosmic participants and patients with OD, including a control group that performed no training.

METHODS

This was a retrospective pooled analysis including 2 treatment cohorts of 8 previously published studies. Adult partici- pants that either presented with the major complaint of quantitative OD or normosmic volunteers were recruited at various ENT clinics and received OT or no training. The outcome was based on changes in objective olfactory test scores after OT.

RESULTS

A total of 601 patients with OD or normosmic subjects were included. OT was more effective compared to no training. No interaction was found between OT and OF. In multivariate analysis, higher baseline OF (adjusted odds ratio, aOR, 0.93) and posttraumatic (aOR, 0.29) or idiopathic OD (aOR, 0.18) compared to postinfectious causes were significantly associated with lower odds of relevant improvements in patients with OD receiving OT. Subgroup analysis of normosmic participants receiving OT further revealed a significant association of age and baseline olfactory function with improvements of overall OF.

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrated that OT was more effective than no training in patients with various causes of OD. Additi- onally, baseline olfactory performance and etiology of OD were identified as important factors associated with relevant improve- ments after OT.

Expertise Shapes Multimodal Imagery for Wine

Although taste and smell seem hard to imagine, some people nevertheless report vivid imagery in these sensory modalities. We investigate whether experts are better able to imagine smells and tastes because they have learned the ability, or whether they are better imaginers in the first place, and so become experts. To test this, we first compared a group of wine experts to yoked novices using a battery of questionnaires. We show for the first time that experts report greater vividness of wine imagery, with no difference in vividness across sensory modalities. In contrast, novices had more vivid color imagery than taste or odor imagery for wines. Experts and novices did not differ on other vividness of imagery measures, suggesting a domain-specific effect of expertise. Critically, in a second study, we followed a group of students commencing a wine course and a group of matched control participants. Students and controls did not differ before the course, but after the wine course students reported more vivid wine imagery. We provide evidence that expertise improves imagery, exemplifying the extent of plasticity of cognition underlying the chemical senses.

Human olfactory communication: current challenges and future prospects

Although anthropologists frequently report the centrality of odours in the daily lives and cultural beliefs of many small-scale communities, Western scholars have historically considered the sense of smell as minimally involved in human communication. Here, we suggest that the origin and persistence of this latter view might be a consequence of the fact that most research is conducted on participants from Western societies who, collectively, were rather old (adults), deodorized and desensitized (ODD) to various aspects of olfactory perception. The view is rapidly changing, however, and this themed issue provides a timely overview of the current state-of-the-art on human chemocommunication. Based on evolutionary models of communication, the papers cover both general mechanisms of odour production by 'senders' and odour perception by 'receivers'. Focus on specific functional contexts includes reciprocal impact of odours between infants and mothers, the role of odour in mate choice and how odours communicate emotion and disease. Finally, a position paper outlines pitfalls and opportunities for the future, against the context of the replication crisis in psychology. We believe a more nuanced view of human chemical communication is within our grasp if we can continue to develop inter-disciplinary insights and expand research activities beyond ODD people. This article is part of the Theo Murphy meeting issue 'Olfactory communication in humans'.

Testing the Sensitivity of Potential Panelists for Wine Taint Compounds Using a Simplified Sensory Strategy

The odor detection threshold (ODT) of a compound is the lowest concentration at which individuals can reliably perceive a difference between a sample and its corresponding control, with 50% performance above chance. Wine is a complex matrix, and ODTs used in studies on wine can be based on inappropriate matrices and informal sensory methodologies. Formal studies confirming ODTs in wine are relatively scarce in the literature, and are complex and expensive to carry out. In this study, the sensitivity of panelists to previously published ODTs for five compounds: Guaiacol, o-cresol and 4-ethyl phenol, 3-isobutyl-2-methoxypyrazine (IBMP), and 2,4,6-trichloroanisole (TCA) associated with off-flavor/taint issues in wine, was investigated. The study was carried out in partially de-aromatized young Shiraz wine (unwooded) using a simplified version of the formal sensory approach. A triangle test in triplicate was carried out with 34 panelists, at the ODT for each compound, in one day. The study explored whether previous training affected panelists’ sensitivity for threshold differences. Results showed that samples spiked with volatile phenols were significantly different (p = 0.01) to controls. The spiked TCA and IBMP samples were not significantly different from the control in either case. Judges were better able to detect compounds if they had prior experience or training in wine evaluation. Despite some limitations, this pragmatic approach may be useful when carrying out sensory studies with fairly limited resources and within tight timelines, as it provides helpful information on panel members and detection thresholds for a specific matrix.

What Makes a Better Smeller?

Olfaction is often viewed as difficult, yet the empirical evidence suggests a different picture. A closer look shows people around the world differ in their ability to detect, discriminate, and name odors. This gives rise to the question of what influences our ability to smell. Instead of focusing on olfactory deficiencies, this review presents a positive perspective by focusing on factors that make someone a better smeller. We consider three driving forces in improving olfactory ability: one’s biological makeup, one’s experience, and the environment. For each factor, we consider aspects proposed to improve odor perception and critically examine the evidence; as well as introducing lesser discussed areas. In terms of biology, there are cases of neurodiversity, such as olfactory synesthesia, that serve to enhance olfactory ability. Our lifetime experience, be it typical development or unique training experience, can also modify the trajectory of olfaction. Finally, our odor environment, in terms of ambient odor or culinary traditions, can influence odor perception too. Rather than highlighting the weaknesses of olfaction, we emphasize routes to harnessing our olfactory potential.

Distribution and Organoleptic Impact of Ethyl 3-Hydroxybutanoate Enantiomers in Wine

Enantiomers of ethyl 3-hydroxybutanoate were assayed in 87 commercial wines from various vintages and origins, using chiral gas chromatography (β-cyclodextrin). Generally, ethyl 3-hydroxybutanoate levels were higher in red than in white wines of the same age. The average S/R enantiomeric ratio of this compound in red wine was approximately 75:25 (± 13), with an average total concentration of ∼ 450 (± 150) μg/L. In red wines, R-form levels increased gradually during aging, but no variations were observed in S-form concentrations. To our knowledge, no previous research had determined the enantiomeric distribution of this compound in wine. The olfactory threshold of the S-form in dilute alcohol solution was 21 mg/L, one-third that of the R-form: 63 mg/L. The S- and R-forms had different aromatic nuances. The olfactory threshold of their mixture (85:15, m/m) was 14 mg/L, indicating a simple additive effect in this binary mixture. Furthermore, the concentrations found in red wines were considerably below the olfactory threshold under the same experimental conditions. Sensory analysis revealed that ethyl 3-hydroxybutanoate (S/R, 85:15, m/m) had an enhancing effect on the perception of fruity aromas in the matrices studied. Sensory profiles highlighted the contribution of ethyl 3-hydroxybutanoate to red-berry and fresh-fruit descriptors, despite its subthreshold concentrations.

Distribution and organoleptic impact of ethyl 2-methylbutanoate enantiomers in wine

The enantiomers of ethyl 2-methylbutanoate were assayed in several wines using chiral gas chromatography (β-cyclodextrin). Analyses of 37 commercial red wines from various vintages and origins revealed the almost exclusive presence of the S-enantiomeric form. The average concentration was ∼50 μg/L, but the oldest samples were found to contain higher ethyl 2-methylbutanoate levels than the youngest wines. The olfactory threshold of a racemic mixture of ethyl (2R)-2-methylbutanoate and ethyl (2S)-2-methylbutanoate (50:50, m/m) in dilute alcohol solution was 2.60 μg/L, almost twice that of the S-form, which was 1.53 μg/L. Ethyl (2S)-2-methylbutanoate and the racemic mixture of ethyl (2R)-2-methylbutanoate and ethyl (2S)-2-methylbutanoate had different aromatic nuances: the former was mainly defined by fruity descriptors, such as green apple (Granny Smith) and strawberry, whereas the latter had an unspecific, caustic, fruity, solvent odor. Sensory analysis revealed an enhancing effect of ethyl (2S)-2-methylbutanoate on the perception of fruity aromas in the matrices studied: the "olfactory threshold" of the fruity pool, consisting of esters found in red wines, in dilute alcohol solution alone was higher than that of the same mixture supplemented with 50 μg/L ethyl (2S)-2-methylbutanoate. The sensory profiles of these aromatic reconstitutions highlighted the contribution of ethyl (2S)-2-methylbutanoate to black-berry-fruit descriptors.

Study of sensory interactions among red wine fruity esters in a model solution

Our study focused on the impact of 12 red wine esters, in complex mixtures, on the perception of fruity aromas. Aromatic reconstructions were prepared in dilute alcohol solution at the average concentrations found in red wines, using pure commercial products. The impact of ethyl propanoate, ethyl-3-hydroxybutanoate, butyl acetate, and 2-methylpropyl acetate was detected by omission tests, although they were present at subthreshold concentrations in the fruity mixture. The "olfactory threshold" of the fruity pool, consisting of all of the esters excluding ethyl propanoate, ethyl-3-hydroxybutanoate, butyl acetate, or 2-methylpropyl acetate was calculated in two different matrices: dilute alcohol solution and dilute alcohol solution supplemented with each of the four compounds mentioned above. The presence of ethyl-3-hydroxybutanoate and 2-methylpropyl acetate in the mixture led to a significant decrease in the olfactory threshold of the fruity pool, demonstrating their synergistic effect in increasing the overall intensity. Sensory profiles revealed that besides ethyl-3-hydroxybutanoate, the omission of each of these compounds had a significant attenuating effect on blackberry and fresh-fruit aroma intensity. These compounds with similar chemical structures participate, both quantitatively and qualitatively, in modulating fruity aromas and, specifically, naturally enhancing blackberry and fresh-fruit aromas.