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Poirier AC, Melin AD. Smell throughout the life course. Evol Anthropol 2024; 33:e22030. [PMID: 38704704 DOI: 10.1002/evan.22030] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2023] [Revised: 04/12/2024] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 05/07/2024]
Abstract
The sense of smell is an important mediator of health and sociality at all stages of life, yet it has received limited attention in our lineage. Olfaction starts in utero and participates in the establishment of social bonds in children, and of romantic and sexual relationships after puberty. Smell further plays a key role in food assessment and danger avoidance; in modern societies, it also guides our consumer behavior. Sensory abilities typically decrease with age and can be impacted by diseases, with repercussions on health and well-being. Here, we critically review our current understanding of human olfactory communication to refute outdated notions that our sense of smell is of low importance. We provide a summary of the biology of olfaction, give a prospective overview of the importance of the sense of smell throughout the life course, and conclude with an outline of the limitations and future directions in this field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alice C Poirier
- Department of Anthropology and Archaeology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Amanda D Melin
- Department of Anthropology and Archaeology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Department of Medical Genetics, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
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2
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Larrigaldie I, Damon F, Mousqué S, Patris B, Lansade L, Schaal B, Destrez A. Do sheep (Ovis aries) discriminate human emotional odors? Anim Cogn 2024; 27:51. [PMID: 39060454 PMCID: PMC11282138 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-024-01895-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2024] [Revised: 07/15/2024] [Accepted: 07/16/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024]
Abstract
While sheep can detect and discriminate human emotions through visual and vocal cues, their reaction to human body odors remains unknown. The present study aimed to determine whether sheep (Ovis aries) can detect human odors, olfactorily discriminate stressed from non-stressed individuals, and behave accordingly based on the emotional valence of the odors. Axillary secretions from 34 students were collected following an oral examination (stress odor) or a regular class (non-stress odor). Fourteen female and 15 male lambs were then exposed to these odors through a habituation-dishabituation procedure. The habituation stimulus was presented four times for one minute, followed by the dishabituation stimulus presented once for one minute. Behavioral variables included spatiality relative to target odors, approach/withdrawal, ear positioning, sniffing, ingestion, and vocalization. Both female and male lambs more often positioned their ears backwards/forwards, and asymmetrically when exposed to the dishabituation stimulus, but regardless of their stress or non-stress value. They also changed their approach behavior when exposed to the dishabituation stimuli. Lambs displayed some behavioral signs of discrimination between the habituation and dishabituation odors, but regardless of their relation to stress or non-stress of human donors. In sum, this exploratory study suggests that young sheep respond negatively to the odor of unfamiliar humans, without showing any specific emotional contagion related to the stress odor. This exploratory study suggests young ovines can detect human body odor, a further step toward understanding the human-sheep relationship.
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Affiliation(s)
- Izïa Larrigaldie
- Development of Olfaction in Cognition and Communication Lab, Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, CNRS, Université Bourgogne, Institut Agro Dijon, Dijon, France.
| | - Fabrice Damon
- Development of Olfaction in Cognition and Communication Lab, Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, CNRS, Université Bourgogne, Institut Agro Dijon, Dijon, France
| | - Solène Mousqué
- Development of Olfaction in Cognition and Communication Lab, Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, CNRS, Université Bourgogne, Institut Agro Dijon, Dijon, France
- Institut Agro Dijon, Dijon, France
| | - Bruno Patris
- Development of Olfaction in Cognition and Communication Lab, Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, CNRS, Université Bourgogne, Institut Agro Dijon, Dijon, France
| | - Léa Lansade
- Unité de Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, IFCE, Inrae, CNRS, Université de Tours, Nouzilly, France
| | - Benoist Schaal
- Development of Olfaction in Cognition and Communication Lab, Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, CNRS, Université Bourgogne, Institut Agro Dijon, Dijon, France
| | - Alexandra Destrez
- Development of Olfaction in Cognition and Communication Lab, Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, CNRS, Université Bourgogne, Institut Agro Dijon, Dijon, France
- Institut Agro Dijon, Dijon, France
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3
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Bratman GN, Bembibre C, Daily GC, Doty RL, Hummel T, Jacobs LF, Kahn PH, Lashus C, Majid A, Miller JD, Oleszkiewicz A, Olvera-Alvarez H, Parma V, Riederer AM, Sieber NL, Williams J, Xiao J, Yu CP, Spengler JD. Nature and human well-being: The olfactory pathway. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2024; 10:eadn3028. [PMID: 38748806 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adn3028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 04/12/2024] [Indexed: 07/04/2024]
Abstract
The world is undergoing massive atmospheric and ecological change, driving unprecedented challenges to human well-being. Olfaction is a key sensory system through which these impacts occur. The sense of smell influences quality of and satisfaction with life, emotion, emotion regulation, cognitive function, social interactions, dietary choices, stress, and depressive symptoms. Exposures via the olfactory pathway can also lead to (anti-)inflammatory outcomes. Increased understanding is needed regarding the ways in which odorants generated by nature (i.e., natural olfactory environments) affect human well-being. With perspectives from a range of health, social, and natural sciences, we provide an overview of this unique sensory system, four consensus statements regarding olfaction and the environment, and a conceptual framework that integrates the olfactory pathway into an understanding of the effects of natural environments on human well-being. We then discuss how this framework can contribute to better accounting of the impacts of policy and land-use decision-making on natural olfactory environments and, in turn, on planetary health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory N Bratman
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Cecilia Bembibre
- Institute for Sustainable Heritage, University College London, London, UK
| | - Gretchen C Daily
- Natural Capital Project, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
- Woods Institute, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Richard L Doty
- Smell and Taste Center, Department of Otorhinolaryngology: Head and Neck Surgery, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Thomas Hummel
- Interdisciplinary Center Smell and Taste, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Lucia F Jacobs
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Peter H Kahn
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Connor Lashus
- School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Asifa Majid
- Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | | | - Anna Oleszkiewicz
- Interdisciplinary Center Smell and Taste, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
- Institute of Psychology, University of Wroclaw, Wrocław, Poland
| | | | | | - Anne M Riederer
- Department of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Nancy Long Sieber
- T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Jonathan Williams
- Air Chemistry Department, Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, 55128 Mainz, Germany
- Climate and Atmosphere Research Center, The Cyprus Institute, Nicosia, Cyprus
| | - Jieling Xiao
- College of Architecture, Birmingham City University, Birmingham, UK
| | - Chia-Pin Yu
- School of Forestry and Resource Conservation, National Taiwan University, Taiwan
- The Experimental Forest, College of Bio-Resources and Agriculture, National Taiwan University, Taiwan
| | - John D Spengler
- T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Harvard University, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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4
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Stanley HB, Pereda-Campos V, Mantel M, Rouby C, Daudé C, Aguera PE, Fornoni L, Hummel T, Weise S, Mignot C, Konstantinidis I, Garefis K, Ferdenzi C, Pierron D, Bensafi M. Identification of the needs of individuals affected by COVID-19. COMMUNICATIONS MEDICINE 2024; 4:83. [PMID: 38724573 PMCID: PMC11082167 DOI: 10.1038/s43856-024-00510-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 04/25/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The optimal management of COVID-19 symptoms and their sequelae remains an important area of clinical research. Policy makers have little scientific data regarding the effects on the daily life of affected individuals and the identification of their needs. Such data are needed to inform effective care policy. METHODS We studied 639 people with COVID-19 resident in France via an online questionnaire. They reported their symptoms, effects on daily life, and resulting needs, with particular focus on olfaction. RESULTS The results indicate that a majority of participants viewed their symptoms as disabling, with symptoms affecting their physical and mental health, social and professional lives. 60% of the individuals reported having unmet medical, psychological and socio-professional support needs. Finally, affected individuals were concerned about the risk and invasiveness of possible treatments as shown by a preference for non-invasive intervention over surgery to cure anosmia. CONCLUSIONS It is important that policy makers take these needs into consideration in order to assist affected individuals to regain a normal quality of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Halina B Stanley
- Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, INSERM, Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon CRNL U1028 UMR5292, NEUROPOP, F-69500, Bron, France.
| | - Veronica Pereda-Campos
- Équipe de Médecine Evolutive Faculté de chirurgie dentaire-UMR5288, CNRS/Université Paul-Sabatier Toulouse III, Toulouse, 31400, France
| | - Marylou Mantel
- Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, INSERM, Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon CRNL U1028 UMR5292, NEUROPOP, F-69500, Bron, France
- Équipe de Médecine Evolutive Faculté de chirurgie dentaire-UMR5288, CNRS/Université Paul-Sabatier Toulouse III, Toulouse, 31400, France
| | - Catherine Rouby
- Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, INSERM, Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon CRNL U1028 UMR5292, NEUROPOP, F-69500, Bron, France
| | - Christelle Daudé
- Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, INSERM, Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon CRNL U1028 UMR5292, NEUROPOP, F-69500, Bron, France
| | - Pierre-Emmanuel Aguera
- Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, INSERM, Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon CRNL U1028 UMR5292, NEUROPOP, F-69500, Bron, France
| | - Lesly Fornoni
- Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, INSERM, Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon CRNL U1028 UMR5292, NEUROPOP, F-69500, Bron, France
| | - Thomas Hummel
- Smell & Taste Clinic, Department of Otorhinlaryngology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Susanne Weise
- Smell & Taste Clinic, Department of Otorhinlaryngology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Coralie Mignot
- Smell & Taste Clinic, Department of Otorhinlaryngology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Iordanis Konstantinidis
- 2nd Academic ORL Department, Papageorgiou Hospital, Aristotle University, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Konstantinos Garefis
- 2nd Academic ORL Department, Papageorgiou Hospital, Aristotle University, Thessaloniki, Greece
| | - Camille Ferdenzi
- Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, INSERM, Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon CRNL U1028 UMR5292, NEUROPOP, F-69500, Bron, France
| | - Denis Pierron
- Équipe de Médecine Evolutive Faculté de chirurgie dentaire-UMR5288, CNRS/Université Paul-Sabatier Toulouse III, Toulouse, 31400, France
| | - Moustafa Bensafi
- Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, INSERM, Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon CRNL U1028 UMR5292, NEUROPOP, F-69500, Bron, France.
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5
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Lu J, Ye Y, Wu Y. Little evidence that androstadienone affects social distance-dependent prosocial behaviour: a pre-registered study. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2024; 11:240004. [PMID: 39076351 PMCID: PMC11285484 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.240004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2024] [Revised: 03/27/2024] [Accepted: 04/04/2024] [Indexed: 07/31/2024]
Abstract
In navigating the complexities of social life, humans have evolved to interpret invisible odorous chemical cues, with profound behavioural impacts often unbeknown to the conscious mind. The manifestation of this in humans is evident in the scent of androstadienone (androsta-4,16-dien-3-one), an odorous compound which is considered a putative human pheromone. The current study investigated the effect of androstadienone on social distance-dependent prosocial behaviour measured by a social discounting task, in which participants chose between selfish and generous options. Based on our pre-registration, we predicted a sex-specific effect, with males exposed to androstadienone exhibiting increased generosity, while females would choose more selfishly. Employing a double-blind, placebo-controlled, between-subject design, we recruited 170 participants who were randomly assigned to either the androstadienone or control condition. Olfactory stimuli were administered while participants completed the social discounting task. Inconsistent with our hypothesis, inhaling androstadienone did not impact social distance-dependent prosocial behaviour. This finding was supported by multiple estimates of prosociality, including model-free, model-based and maximum likelihood estimation. Further analyses indicated that androstadienone administration did not influence perceived social distance or bias participants towards being generous or selfish. Thus, our empirical findings provide no support for the hypothesis that androstadienone modulates generosity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Junsong Lu
- Department of Applied Social Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong
| | - Yuting Ye
- Institute of Psychology, School of Public Affairs, Xiamen University, Xiamen, People's Republic of China
| | - Yin Wu
- Department of Applied Social Sciences, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong
- Research Institute for Sports Science and Technology, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong
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6
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Ferdenzi C, Fournel A, Baldovini N, Poupon D, Ligout D, Thévenet M, Bouet R, Bensafi M. Influence of the human body odor compound HMHA on face perception. Perception 2024; 53:180-196. [PMID: 38216326 DOI: 10.1177/03010066231222473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2024]
Abstract
Body odors convey information about the individuals, but the mechanisms are not fully understood yet. As far as human reproduction is concerned, molecules that are produced in sexually dimorphic amounts could be possible chemosignals. 3-hydroxy-3-methylhexanoic acid (HMHA) is one of them-more typical of men. Here, we investigated the possibility that the perception of gender and attractiveness in human faces could be implicitly influenced by this compound. Clearly feminine, ambiguous and clearly masculine faces were primed with an odor of HMHA, a control odor or air. Based on 100-ms face presentation, 40 raters had to identify the face's gender as quickly as possible and provide attractiveness evaluations. 3-hydroxy-3-methylhexanoic acid tended to be perceived as less pleasant and induced lower sniff duration in women compared with men. As to the effects of HMHA on face perception (vs. control conditions), we found that gender identification and the associated response time were unaffected by HMHA. Attractiveness of the faces, however, increased in presence of HMHA, but not in a sex-specific manner and only for unattractive faces with ambiguous gender. In sum, this study found no evidence in favor of a possible role of this sexually dimorphic compound in intrasexual competition nor in intersexual attraction.
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7
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Lübke KT, Storch D, Pause BM. Sexual Orientation Affects Neural Responses to Subtle Social Aggression Signals. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2024; 53:153-175. [PMID: 37501010 PMCID: PMC10794475 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-023-02661-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2022] [Revised: 07/07/2023] [Accepted: 07/11/2023] [Indexed: 07/29/2023]
Abstract
The current series of studies are the first to examine brain responses to social aggression signals as a function of male and female sexual orientation. For the first set of studies (1a, 1b), axillary sweat had been collected from 17 heterosexual men and 17 heterosexual women aggressively responding to frustrating opponents (aggression condition) and while playing a construction game (control condition). Sweat samples were pooled according to sex and condition, and presented via a constant flow olfactometer to 17 gay and 23 heterosexual men (Study 1a), and 19 lesbian and 25 heterosexual women (Study 1b). Ongoing EEG was recorded from 61 scalp locations, chemosensory event-related potentials (CSERPs; P2, P3-1, P3-2) were analyzed, and neuronal sources calculated (low resolution electromagnetic tomography). Within the second set of studies (2a, 2b), pictures of males' and females' weak angry and neutral facial expressions were presented to 21 gay and 23 heterosexual men (Study 2a), and 19 lesbian and 26 heterosexual women (Study 2b), and ERPs (N170, P3) were analyzed. Gay men showed larger P3-1 amplitudes than heterosexual men upon presentation of male aggression sweat, accompanied by activation of the right inferior frontal gyrus (IFG, BA 10). Gay men also displayed longer N170 latencies in response to men's compared to women's angry facial expressions, while heterosexual men did not. In women, sexual orientation did not affect the processing of aggression sweat or anger expressions. Gay men showed preferential processing of chemosensory aggression signals (P3-1 amplitudes), indicating fine-tuned socioemotional sensitivity, related to activation of brain areas involved in emotion regulation (IFG). They further process the relative relevance of visual aggression signals (N170 latency). These results were in line with theories proposing a common evolutionary pathway for same-sex attraction and traits easing social integration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katrin T Lübke
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Universitätsstr. 1, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany.
| | - Dunja Storch
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Universitätsstr. 1, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Bettina M Pause
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Universitätsstr. 1, 40225, Düsseldorf, Germany
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8
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Agron S, de March CA, Weissgross R, Mishor E, Gorodisky L, Weiss T, Furman-Haran E, Matsunami H, Sobel N. A chemical signal in human female tears lowers aggression in males. PLoS Biol 2023; 21:e3002442. [PMID: 38127837 PMCID: PMC10734982 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.3002442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Rodent tears contain social chemosignals with diverse effects, including blocking male aggression. Human tears also contain a chemosignal that lowers male testosterone, but its behavioral significance was unclear. Because reduced testosterone is associated with reduced aggression, we tested the hypothesis that human tears act like rodent tears to block male aggression. Using a standard behavioral paradigm, we found that sniffing emotional tears with no odor percept reduced human male aggression by 43.7%. To probe the peripheral brain substrates of this effect, we applied tears to 62 human olfactory receptors in vitro. We identified 4 receptors that responded in a dose-dependent manner to this stimulus. Finally, to probe the central brain substrates of this effect, we repeated the experiment concurrent with functional brain imaging. We found that sniffing tears increased functional connectivity between the neural substrates of olfaction and aggression, reducing overall levels of neural activity in the latter. Taken together, our results imply that like in rodents, a human tear-bound chemosignal lowers male aggression, a mechanism that likely relies on the structural and functional overlap in the brain substrates of olfaction and aggression. We suggest that tears are a mammalian-wide mechanism that provides a chemical blanket protecting against aggression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shani Agron
- The Azrieli National Center for Human Brain Imaging and Research, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
- The Department for Brain Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Claire A. de March
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Reut Weissgross
- The Azrieli National Center for Human Brain Imaging and Research, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
- The Department for Brain Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Eva Mishor
- The Azrieli National Center for Human Brain Imaging and Research, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
- The Department for Brain Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Lior Gorodisky
- The Azrieli National Center for Human Brain Imaging and Research, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
- The Department for Brain Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Tali Weiss
- The Azrieli National Center for Human Brain Imaging and Research, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
- The Department for Brain Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Edna Furman-Haran
- The Azrieli National Center for Human Brain Imaging and Research, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Hiroaki Matsunami
- Department of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
- Department of Neurobiology, Duke University Medical Center, Durham, North Carolina, United States of America
| | - Noam Sobel
- The Azrieli National Center for Human Brain Imaging and Research, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
- The Department for Brain Sciences, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
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9
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Williams HJ, Sridhar VH, Hurme E, Gall GE, Borrego N, Finerty GE, Couzin ID, Galizia CG, Dominy NJ, Rowland HM, Hauber ME, Higham JP, Strandburg-Peshkin A, Melin AD. Sensory collectives in natural systems. eLife 2023; 12:e88028. [PMID: 38019274 PMCID: PMC10686622 DOI: 10.7554/elife.88028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 11/10/2023] [Indexed: 11/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Groups of animals inhabit vastly different sensory worlds, or umwelten, which shape fundamental aspects of their behaviour. Yet the sensory ecology of species is rarely incorporated into the emerging field of collective behaviour, which studies the movements, population-level behaviours, and emergent properties of animal groups. Here, we review the contributions of sensory ecology and collective behaviour to understanding how animals move and interact within the context of their social and physical environments. Our goal is to advance and bridge these two areas of inquiry and highlight the potential for their creative integration. To achieve this goal, we organise our review around the following themes: (1) identifying the promise of integrating collective behaviour and sensory ecology; (2) defining and exploring the concept of a 'sensory collective'; (3) considering the potential for sensory collectives to shape the evolution of sensory systems; (4) exploring examples from diverse taxa to illustrate neural circuits involved in sensing and collective behaviour; and (5) suggesting the need for creative conceptual and methodological advances to quantify 'sensescapes'. In the final section, (6) applications to biological conservation, we argue that these topics are timely, given the ongoing anthropogenic changes to sensory stimuli (e.g. via light, sound, and chemical pollution) which are anticipated to impact animal collectives and group-level behaviour and, in turn, ecosystem composition and function. Our synthesis seeks to provide a forward-looking perspective on how sensory ecologists and collective behaviourists can both learn from and inspire one another to advance our understanding of animal behaviour, ecology, adaptation, and evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah J Williams
- Max Planck Institute of Animal BehaviorKonstanzGermany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of KonstanzKonstanzGermany
- Biology Department, University of KonstanzKonstanzGermany
| | - Vivek H Sridhar
- Max Planck Institute of Animal BehaviorKonstanzGermany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of KonstanzKonstanzGermany
- Biology Department, University of KonstanzKonstanzGermany
| | - Edward Hurme
- Max Planck Institute of Animal BehaviorKonstanzGermany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of KonstanzKonstanzGermany
- Biology Department, University of KonstanzKonstanzGermany
| | - Gabriella E Gall
- Max Planck Institute of Animal BehaviorKonstanzGermany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of KonstanzKonstanzGermany
- Biology Department, University of KonstanzKonstanzGermany
- Zukunftskolleg, University of KonstanzKonstanzGermany
| | | | | | - Iain D Couzin
- Max Planck Institute of Animal BehaviorKonstanzGermany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of KonstanzKonstanzGermany
- Biology Department, University of KonstanzKonstanzGermany
| | - C Giovanni Galizia
- Biology Department, University of KonstanzKonstanzGermany
- Zukunftskolleg, University of KonstanzKonstanzGermany
| | - Nathaniel J Dominy
- Zukunftskolleg, University of KonstanzKonstanzGermany
- Department of Anthropology, Dartmouth CollegeHanoverUnited States
| | - Hannah M Rowland
- Max Planck Research Group Predators and Toxic Prey, Max Planck Institute for Chemical EcologyJenaGermany
| | - Mark E Hauber
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior, School of Integrative Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignUrbana-ChampaignUnited States
| | - James P Higham
- Zukunftskolleg, University of KonstanzKonstanzGermany
- Department of Anthropology, New York UniversityNew YorkUnited States
| | - Ariana Strandburg-Peshkin
- Max Planck Institute of Animal BehaviorKonstanzGermany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of KonstanzKonstanzGermany
- Biology Department, University of KonstanzKonstanzGermany
| | - Amanda D Melin
- Zukunftskolleg, University of KonstanzKonstanzGermany
- Department of Anthropology and Archaeology, University of CalgaryCalgaryCanada
- Alberta Children’s Hospital Research Institute, University of CalgaryCalgaryCanada
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10
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Loos HM, Schaal B, Pause BM, Smeets MAM, Ferdenzi C, Roberts SC, de Groot J, Lübke KT, Croy I, Freiherr J, Bensafi M, Hummel T, Havlíček J. Past, Present, and Future of Human Chemical Communication Research. PERSPECTIVES ON PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2023:17456916231188147. [PMID: 37669015 DOI: 10.1177/17456916231188147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/06/2023]
Abstract
Although chemical signaling is an essential mode of communication in most vertebrates, it has long been viewed as having negligible effects in humans. However, a growing body of evidence shows that the sense of smell affects human behavior in social contexts ranging from affiliation and parenting to disease avoidance and social threat. This article aims to (a) introduce research on human chemical communication in the historical context of the behavioral sciences; (b) provide a balanced overview of recent advances that describe individual differences in the emission of semiochemicals and the neural mechanisms underpinning their perception, that together demonstrate communicative function; and (c) propose directions for future research toward unraveling the molecular principles involved and understanding the variability in the generation, transmission, and reception of chemical signals in increasingly ecologically valid conditions. Achieving these goals will enable us to address some important societal challenges but are within reach only with the aid of genuinely interdisciplinary approaches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helene M Loos
- Department of Chemistry and Pharmacy, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg
- Department of Sensory Analytics and Technologies, Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging IVV
| | - Benoist Schaal
- Development of Olfactory Cognition and Communication Lab, Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation, CNRS UMR 6265, Université de Bourgogne
| | - Bettina M Pause
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf
| | | | - Camille Ferdenzi
- Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon, CNRS UMR 5292, Inserm U1028, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Centre Hospitalier Le Vinatier
| | | | | | - Katrin T Lübke
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Heinrich-Heine-Universität Düsseldorf
| | - Ilona Croy
- Institute for Psychology, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena
| | - Jessica Freiherr
- Department of Sensory Analytics and Technologies, Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging IVV
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg
| | - Moustafa Bensafi
- Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon, CNRS UMR 5292, Inserm U1028, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Centre Hospitalier Le Vinatier
| | - Thomas Hummel
- Smell and Taste Clinic, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, TU Dresden
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11
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Richard Ortegón S, Carlos O, Robert-Hazotte A, Lelgouarch A, Desoche C, Kawabata Duncan K, Tagai K, Fournel A, Bensafi M, Race B, Ferdenzi C. Investigating the human chemical communication of positive emotions using a virtual reality-based mood induction. Physiol Behav 2023; 264:114147. [PMID: 36893999 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2023.114147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2022] [Revised: 01/02/2023] [Accepted: 03/05/2023] [Indexed: 03/09/2023]
Abstract
Humans can communicate their emotions to others via volatile emissions from their bodies. Although there is now solid evidence for human chemical communication of fear, stress and anxiety, investigations of positive emotions remain scarce. In a recent study, we found that women's heart rate and performance in creativity tasks were modulated by body odors of men sampled while they were in a positive vs. neutral mood. However, inducing positive emotions in laboratory settings remains challenging. Therefore, an important step to further investigate the human chemical communication of positive emotions is to develop new methods to induce positive moods. Here, we present a new mood induction procedure (MIP) based on virtual reality (VR), that we assumed to be more powerful than videos (used in our previous study) to induce positive emotions. We hypothesized that, consequently, given the more intense emotions created, this VR-based MIP would induce larger differences between the receivers' responses to the positive body odor versus a neutral control body odor, than the Video-based MIP. The results confirmed the higher efficacy of VR to induce positive emotions compared with videos. More specifically, VR had more repeatable effects between individuals. Although positive body odors had similar effects to those found in the previous video study, especially faster problem solving, these effects did not reach statistical significance. These outcomes are discussed as a function of the specificities of VR and of other methodological parameters, that may have prevented the observation of such subtle effects and that should be understood more in-depth for future studies on human chemical communication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stéphane Richard Ortegón
- University Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS UMR5292, INSERM U1028, Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, CH Le Vinatier, Bât. 462 Neurocampus, 95 boulevard Pinel, Bron Cedex 69675, France; Shiseido Group EMEA, 56A rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, Paris 75008, France
| | - Olivia Carlos
- Shiseido Group EMEA, 56A rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, Paris 75008, France
| | | | - Anne Lelgouarch
- University Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS UMR5292, INSERM U1028, Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, CH Le Vinatier, Bât. 462 Neurocampus, 95 boulevard Pinel, Bron Cedex 69675, France
| | - Clément Desoche
- University Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS UMR5292, INSERM U1028, Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, CH Le Vinatier, Bât. 462 Neurocampus, 95 boulevard Pinel, Bron Cedex 69675, France
| | - Keith Kawabata Duncan
- Shiseido Co., Ltd MIRAI Technology Institute, 1-2-11 Takashima, Nishi-Ku, Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa 220-0011, Japan
| | - Keiko Tagai
- Shiseido Co., Ltd MIRAI Technology Institute, 1-2-11 Takashima, Nishi-Ku, Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa 220-0011, Japan
| | - Arnaud Fournel
- University Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS UMR5292, INSERM U1028, Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, CH Le Vinatier, Bât. 462 Neurocampus, 95 boulevard Pinel, Bron Cedex 69675, France
| | - Moustafa Bensafi
- University Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS UMR5292, INSERM U1028, Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, CH Le Vinatier, Bât. 462 Neurocampus, 95 boulevard Pinel, Bron Cedex 69675, France
| | - Bénédicte Race
- Shiseido Group EMEA, 56A rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, Paris 75008, France
| | - Camille Ferdenzi
- University Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS UMR5292, INSERM U1028, Lyon Neuroscience Research Center, CH Le Vinatier, Bât. 462 Neurocampus, 95 boulevard Pinel, Bron Cedex 69675, France.
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12
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Social Odour Perception and Stress Responses in Women’s Quality of Partner Relationship and Attachment Style. Behav Sci (Basel) 2023; 13:bs13030239. [PMID: 36975264 PMCID: PMC10045887 DOI: 10.3390/bs13030239] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2023] [Revised: 03/05/2023] [Accepted: 03/09/2023] [Indexed: 03/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The perception of body and social odours (SOP) is crucial for interpersonal chemosensory signalling and mate choice, yet little is known about the role of the SOP on the quality of partnerships and the attachment style. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of the SOP in women’s stress responses by considering the role of biopsychosocial variables in the quality of interpersonal relationships (also considering intimate partner violence). In total, 253 women filled out an online survey that included a series of questionnaires to investigate self-perceived stress (PSS), emotional regulation (ERQ), olfactory social assessment (SOS), quality of partnership (RRQ), attachment style (RQ), and the Conflict Tactile Scale 2 (CTS-2). The main results highlight that a high awareness of social odours correlates with a good quality of relationship and with an emotional regulation capacity; the PSS correlates negatively with the ERQ (i.e., as the PSS increases, the ERQ decreases). The level of IPV predicts an interpersonal style characterized by a low desire to develop meaningful relationships but with a tendency to depend on and trust another. The idea of being hurt by the other is not central in women who experience this type of relationship. The study’s main conclusion is that social odour perception is important for emotional regulation and in partner relationships.
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13
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Haertl T, Owsienko D, Schwinn L, Hirsch C, Eskofier BM, Lang R, Wirtz S, Loos HM. Exploring the interrelationship between the skin microbiome and skin volatiles: A pilot study. Front Ecol Evol 2023. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2023.1107463] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Unravelling the interplay between a human’s microbiome and physiology is a relevant task for understanding the principles underlying human health and disease. With regard to human chemical communication, it is of interest to elucidate the role of the microbiome in shaping or generating volatiles emitted from the human body. In this study, we characterized the microbiome and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) sampled from the neck and axilla of ten participants (five male, five female) on two sampling days, by applying different methodological approaches. Volatiles emitted from the respective skin site were collected for 20 min using textile sampling material and analyzed on two analytical columns with varying polarity of the stationary phase. Microbiome samples were analyzed by a culture approach coupled with MALDI-TOF-MS analysis and a 16S ribosomal RNA gene (16S RNA) sequencing approach. Statistical and advanced data analysis methods revealed that classification of body sites was possible by using VOC and microbiome data sets. Higher classification accuracy was achieved by combination of both data pools. Cutibacterium, Staphylococcus, Micrococcus, Streptococcus, Lawsonella, Anaerococcus, and Corynebacterium species were found to contribute to classification of the body sites by the microbiome. Alkanes, esters, ethers, ketones, aldehydes and cyclic structures were used by the classifier when VOC data were considered. The interdisciplinary methodological platform developed here will enable further investigations of skin microbiome and skin VOCs alterations in physiological and pathological conditions.
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14
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Li ZL, Hummel T, Zou LQ. Sniffing of Body Odors and Individual Significance of Olfaction Are Associated with Sexual Desire: A Cross-Cultural Study in China, India, and the USA. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2022; 51:3703-3713. [PMID: 35997908 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-022-02398-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2021] [Revised: 08/06/2022] [Accepted: 08/07/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Olfactory sensations contribute to sexual desire and sexual behavior. However, the degree to which individual importance of olfactory function and body odors relate to sexual desire is not known. This study was conducted to preliminarily examine these relationships among Chinese college students (N = 1903) via the Importance of Olfaction Questionnaire, the Body Odor Sniffing Questionnaire, and the Sexual Desire Inventory, which were used to measure subjective significance of olfaction, frequency of sniffing self or others, and sexual desire, respectively. Individuals who assigned higher importance to olfaction or engaged more in body odor sniffing showed stronger sexual desire. We further explored these associations in different cultures to determine whether cultural consistency existed. We conducted a second study to make cross-cultural comparisons between Indian (N = 313) and US (N = 249) populations. For both countries, a higher importance placed on olfaction and a higher prevalence of body odor sniffing were consistently associated with stronger sexual desire. In conclusion, our study confirmed that people who placed more value on olfactory function or engaged more in body odor sniffing showed stronger sexual desire. These correlations were consistent for both sexes and across different cultures, further indicating the importance of olfaction in sexuality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zi-Lin Li
- Chemical Senses and Mental Health Lab, Department of Psychology, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, No. 1023 Shatainan Road, Guangzhou, 510515, Guangdong, China
| | - Thomas Hummel
- Smell and Taste Clinic, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - Lai-Quan Zou
- Chemical Senses and Mental Health Lab, Department of Psychology, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, No. 1023 Shatainan Road, Guangzhou, 510515, Guangdong, China.
- Department of Psychiatry, Zhujiang Hospital, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
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15
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Croijmans I, van Erp L, Bakker A, Cramer L, Heezen S, Van Mourik D, Weaver S, Hortensius R. No Evidence for an Effect of the Smell of Hexanal on Trust in Human-Robot Interaction. Int J Soc Robot 2022; 15:1-10. [PMID: 36128582 PMCID: PMC9477175 DOI: 10.1007/s12369-022-00918-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
The level of interpersonal trust among people is partially determined through the sense of smell. Hexanal, a molecule which smell resembles freshly cut grass, can increase trust in people. Here, we ask the question if smell can be leveraged to facilitate human-robot interaction and test whether hexanal also increases the level of trust during collaboration with a social robot. In a preregistered double-blind, placebo-controlled study, we tested if trial-by-trial and general trust during perceptual decision making in collaboration with a social robot is affected by hexanal across two samples (n = 46 and n = 44). It was hypothesized that unmasked hexanal and hexanal masked by eugenol, a molecule with a smell resembling clove, would increase the level of trust in human-robot interaction, compared to eugenol alone or a control condition consisting of only the neutral smelling solvent propylene glycol. Contrasting previous findings in human interaction, no significant effect of unmasked or eugenol-masked hexanal on trust in robots was observed. These findings indicate that the conscious or nonconscious impact of smell on trust might not generalise to interactions with social robots. One explanation could be category- and context-dependency of smell leading to a mismatch between the natural smell of hexanal, a smell also occurring in human sweat, and the mechanical physical or mental representation of the robot.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ilja Croijmans
- Centre for
Language Studies, Radboud
University, Erasmusplein 1, 6525 HT Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Laura van Erp
- Centre for
Language Studies, Radboud
University, Erasmusplein 1, 6525 HT Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Annelie Bakker
- Centre for
Language Studies, Radboud
University, Erasmusplein 1, 6525 HT Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Lara Cramer
- Centre for
Language Studies, Radboud
University, Erasmusplein 1, 6525 HT Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Sophie Heezen
- Centre for
Language Studies, Radboud
University, Erasmusplein 1, 6525 HT Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Dana Van Mourik
- Centre for
Language Studies, Radboud
University, Erasmusplein 1, 6525 HT Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Sterre Weaver
- Centre for
Language Studies, Radboud
University, Erasmusplein 1, 6525 HT Nijmegen, The Netherlands
| | - Ruud Hortensius
- Centre for
Language Studies, Radboud
University, Erasmusplein 1, 6525 HT Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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16
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Blomkvist A, Izzo G, Vaccaro MG, La Vignera S, Brunetti A, Aversa A, Liuzza MT. The Scent of Monogamy: Self-Reported Olfactory Function Predicts Sexual Well-Being and Infidelity in an Italian Population. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2022; 51:2879-2889. [PMID: 34791581 PMCID: PMC8597879 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-021-02109-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2020] [Revised: 06/16/2021] [Accepted: 07/14/2021] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Previous studies have shown that olfactory function plays an essential role in the bonding of a romantic relationship. Body odors, in particular, seem involved in both mate choices and other intimate behaviors. Our sense of smell is also crucial to detect possible pathogen threats, by activating a suitable disgust reaction. Previous studies have shown that disgust sensitivity is negatively related to sociosexuality, and disgust generally inhibits our sexual drive. In the present study, we explored the possible relation between olfactory function, pathogen disgust sensitivity, sociosexuality, sexual well-being, and infidelity through a web survey. Our exploratory analyses found that, in a large Italian sample (N = 1107), among those in a stable relationship, self-reported olfactory function predicted sexual well-being (p < .05) and negatively predicted infidelity (p < .05) when controlling for other relevant sociodemographics variables. Moreover, the relation between self-reported olfactory function and sexual well-being was mediated by pathogen disgust sensitivity. Although significant, these results must be interpreted with caution, because the effect sizes were small.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Blomkvist
- Department of Psychology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Giulia Izzo
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine "Gaetano Salvatore", Università degli Studi "Magna Græcia" di Catanzaro, 88100, Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Maria Grazia Vaccaro
- Neuroscience Research Center, Università Degli Studi "Magna Græcia" di Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Italy
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, Università degli Studi "Magna Græcia" di Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Italy
- Neuroimaging Research Unit, Institute of Molecular Bioimaging and Physiology, National Research Council, Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Sandro La Vignera
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Catania, Catania, Italy
| | - Antonio Brunetti
- Department of Health Sciences, Università degli Studi "Magna Græcia" di Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Italy
| | - Antonio Aversa
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine "Gaetano Salvatore", Università degli Studi "Magna Græcia" di Catanzaro, 88100, Catanzaro, Italy.
| | - Marco Tullio Liuzza
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, Università degli Studi "Magna Græcia" di Catanzaro, Catanzaro, Italy
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17
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Li ZL, Mahmut MK, Zou LQ. Do you often sniff yourself or others? Development of the Body Odor Sniffing Questionnaire and a cross-cultural survey in China and the USA. Physiol Behav 2022; 255:113934. [PMID: 35908610 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2022.113934] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2022] [Revised: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 07/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Body odor can convey much information about an individual and thus we frequently engage in sniffing one's own and other people's body odor. However, there is scarce evidence on the within- and cross-cultural variation in body odor sniffing behaviors and no psychometric scale for specifically measuring such behaviors. Hence, our study aimed to develop the Body Odor Sniffing Questionnaire (BOSQ) and used it to make a cross-cultural comparison. METHODS In Study 1, 2,026 participants were recruited from our university, with one half used for exploratory factor analysis (EFA) to examine the factor structure of the BOSQ (sample 1) and the other half used for confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) to verify the factor structure (sample 2). In Study 2, 352 Chinese and 254 US participants were recruited to complete the BOSQ through Wenjuanxing and Amazon Mechanical Turk, enabling comparison of body odor sniffing behaviors across two cultures. RESULTS The Study 1 results showed that the BOSQ comprises 17 items in three factors: self-private body odor, others' body odor, and self-common body odor. The CFA results further supported that this three-factor model was a good fit. The Study 2 results showed that US participants scored higher overall and on the self-private body odor and others' body odor dimensions, whereas Chinese participants scored higher on the self-common body odor dimension. CONCLUSIONS The BOSQ demonstrated good reliability and validity, which is a useful tool for evaluating individuals' body odor sniffing behaviors. Cross-cultural difference existed as the US population reported a higher prevalence of body odor sniffing behavior, compared to the Chinese population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zi-Lin Li
- Chemical Senses and Mental Health Laboratory, Department of Psychology, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Mehmet K Mahmut
- Food, Flavour and Fragrance Lab, School of Psychological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
| | - Lai-Quan Zou
- Chemical Senses and Mental Health Laboratory, Department of Psychology, School of Public Health, Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
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18
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Veldhuizen MG, Cecchetto C, Fjaeldstad AW, Farruggia MC, Hartig R, Nakamura Y, Pellegrino R, Yeung AWK, Fischmeister FPS. Future Directions for Chemosensory Connectomes: Best Practices and Specific Challenges. Front Syst Neurosci 2022; 16:885304. [PMID: 35707745 PMCID: PMC9190244 DOI: 10.3389/fnsys.2022.885304] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/27/2022] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Ecological chemosensory stimuli almost always evoke responses in more than one sensory system. Moreover, any sensory processing takes place along a hierarchy of brain regions. So far, the field of chemosensory neuroimaging is dominated by studies that examine the role of brain regions in isolation. However, to completely understand neural processing of chemosensation, we must also examine interactions between regions. In general, the use of connectivity methods has increased in the neuroimaging field, providing important insights to physical sensory processing, such as vision, audition, and touch. A similar trend has been observed in chemosensory neuroimaging, however, these established techniques have largely not been rigorously applied to imaging studies on the chemical senses, leaving network insights overlooked. In this article, we first highlight some recent work in chemosensory connectomics and we summarize different connectomics techniques. Then, we outline specific challenges for chemosensory connectome neuroimaging studies. Finally, we review best practices from the general connectomics and neuroimaging fields. We recommend future studies to develop or use the following methods we perceive as key to improve chemosensory connectomics: (1) optimized study designs, (2) reporting guidelines, (3) consensus on brain parcellations, (4) consortium research, and (5) data sharing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria G. Veldhuizen
- Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, Mersin University, Mersin, Turkey
| | - Cinzia Cecchetto
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Padua, Italy
| | - Alexander W. Fjaeldstad
- Flavour Clinic, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Regional Hospital West Jutland, Holstebro, Denmark
| | - Michael C. Farruggia
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Renée Hartig
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Medical Center, Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany
- Max Planck Institute for Biological Cybernetics, Tübingen, Germany
- Functional and Comparative Neuroanatomy Laboratory, Werner Reichardt Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Yuko Nakamura
- The Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | | | - Andy W. K. Yeung
- Oral and Maxillofacial Radiology, Applied Oral Sciences and Community Dental Care, Faculty of Dentistry, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Florian Ph. S. Fischmeister
- Institute of Psychology, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-Guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- BioTechMed-Graz, Graz, Austria
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19
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Reading the Mind through the Nose: Mentalizing Skills Predict Olfactory Performance. Brain Sci 2022; 12:brainsci12050644. [PMID: 35625030 PMCID: PMC9139398 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12050644] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2022] [Revised: 05/09/2022] [Accepted: 05/11/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
A growing body of literature suggests a close link between olfaction and social expertise. The current study examines whether mentalizing skills are related to olfactory discrimination performance. In order to assess their mentalizing ability, 21 women and 20 men completed the “Reading the Mind in the Eyes” test (RMET). Here, the participants have to infer other persons’ mental state from photographs of eye regions. Odor discrimination was assessed using the “Düsseldorf Odour Discrimination Test” (DODT). The DODT consists of 15 items, each containing mixtures of four monomolecular substances. Within each item, two bottles contain the same mixing ratio, while the third contains the reversed mixing ratio. The participants had to identify the deviating odor. Women’s expertise in mentalizing (RMET score) is strongly related to olfactory discrimination performance (DODT score): The better women are in mentalizing, the better their performance in olfactory discrimination (rho = 0.572, p = 0.042, Bonferroni-corrected). Men’s mentalizing capability was unrelated to olfactory discrimination (rho = −0.117, p > 0.999, Bonferroni-corrected). The current results suggest that the social skill of mentalizing might underly the link between olfaction and social integration, at least in women, and are discussed with regard to the social nature of human olfaction.
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20
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Endevelt-Shapira Y, Djalovski A, Dumas G, Feldman R. Maternal chemosignals enhance infant-adult brain-to-brain synchrony. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2021; 7:eabg6867. [PMID: 34890230 PMCID: PMC8664266 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abg6867] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2021] [Accepted: 10/26/2021] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Maternal body odors serve as important safety-promoting and social recognition signals, but their role in human brain maturation is largely unknown. Utilizing ecological paradigms and dual- electroencephalography recording, we examined the effects of maternal chemosignals on brain-to-brain synchrony during infant-mother and infant-stranger interactions with and without the presence of maternal body odors. Neural connectivity of right-to-right brain theta synchrony emerged across conditions, sensitizing key nodes of the infant’s social brain during its maturational period. Infant-mother interaction elicited greater brain-to-brain synchrony; however, maternal chemosignals attenuated this difference. Infants exhibited more social attention, positive arousal, and safety/approach behaviors in the maternal chemosignals condition, which augmented infant-stranger neural synchrony. Human mothers use interbrain mechanisms to tune the infant’s social brain, and chemosignals may sustain the transfer of infant sociality from the mother-infant bond to life within social groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yaara Endevelt-Shapira
- Center for Developmental Social Neuroscience, The Interdisciplinary Center, Herzliya, Israel
| | - Amir Djalovski
- Center for Developmental Social Neuroscience, The Interdisciplinary Center, Herzliya, Israel
| | - Guillaume Dumas
- Precision Psychiatry and Social Physiology Laboratory, CHU Sainte-Justine Research Center, Department of Psychiatry, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Human Brain and Behavior Laboratory, Center for Complex Systems and Brain Sciences, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL, USA
| | - Ruth Feldman
- Center for Developmental Social Neuroscience, The Interdisciplinary Center, Herzliya, Israel
- Yale University, Child Study Center, New Haven, CT 06519, USA
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21
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Normansell-Mossa KM, Top DN, Russell N, Freeston M, Rodgers J, South M. Sensory Sensitivity and Intolerance of Uncertainty Influence Anxiety in Autistic Adults. Front Psychol 2021; 12:731753. [PMID: 34867612 PMCID: PMC8635111 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.731753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2021] [Accepted: 10/15/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Several models of anxiety in autistic adults have focused on the role of intolerance of uncertainty which has biological and evolutionary bases, as a cognitive explanation for the high prevalence of anxiety in autism. This framework suggests that all people are born with a healthy level of intolerance of uncertainty, and as we develop, this intolerance is lessened as we learn when situations are safe and begin to understand and manage the uncertainty. This process of learning about managing uncertainty does not happen in the same way in those who are high in autistic traits, which could be the reason for the high levels of anxiety symptoms commonly seen in this population. We examined archival data of 199 non-autistic and 55 autistic adults from prior studies in which we collected self-report measures of autistic traits, intolerance of uncertainty, sensory processing, and anxiety. We conducted two path analyses to examine the role of intolerance of uncertainty in anxiety in autistic adults. The first model tested the idea that intolerance of uncertainty, an evolutionary phenomenon common for all people, could explain some of the cognitive aspects of anxiety in autism. The second model suggests that primary neurodevelopmental differences associated with autistic traits underlie the sensory sensitivity and sensory seeking behaviors, which in turn increase intolerance of uncertainty and subsequent anxiety. We found that the “neurodevelopmental” model had better model fit than the “evolutionary stress” model, suggesting that the neurodevelopmental impact of higher levels of autistic traits could moderate a non-autistic trajectory of learning to manage uncertainty as children develop and understand that uncertainty is common and acceptable.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - D Nicholas Top
- Student Health Services, Utah Valley University, Orem, UT, United States
| | - Nicholas Russell
- Department of Psychology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, United States
| | - Mark Freeston
- School of Psychology, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Jacqui Rodgers
- Population Health Sciences Institute, Sir James Spence Institute, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom
| | - Mikle South
- Department of Psychology, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, United States.,Neuroscience Center, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, United States
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22
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Pizzoli SFM, Monzani D, Mazzocco K, Maggioni E, Pravettoni G. The Power of Odor Persuasion: The Incorporation of Olfactory Cues in Virtual Environments for Personalized Relaxation. PERSPECTIVES ON PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2021; 17:652-661. [PMID: 34752166 PMCID: PMC9069654 DOI: 10.1177/17456916211014196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
Olfaction is the most ancient sense and is directly connected with emotional areas in the brain. It gives rise to perception linked to emotion both in everyday life and in memory-recall activities. Despite its emotional primacy in perception and its role in sampling the real physical world, olfaction is rarely used in clinical psychological settings because it relies on stimuli that are difficult to deliver. However, recent developments in virtual-reality tools are creating novel possibilities for the engagement of the sense of smell in this field. In this article, we present the relevant features of olfaction for relaxation purposes and then discuss possible future applications of involving olfaction in virtual-reality interventions for relaxation. We also discuss clinical applications, the potential of new tools, and current obstacles and limitations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Silvia Francesca Maria Pizzoli
- Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, University of Milan.,Applied Research Division for Cognitive and Psychological Science, European Institute of Oncology, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS)
| | - Dario Monzani
- Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, University of Milan.,Applied Research Division for Cognitive and Psychological Science, European Institute of Oncology, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS)
| | - Ketti Mazzocco
- Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, University of Milan.,Applied Research Division for Cognitive and Psychological Science, European Institute of Oncology, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS)
| | - Emanuela Maggioni
- Sussex Computer Human Interaction (SCHI) Lab, Creative Technology Research Group, School of Engineering and Informatics, University of Sussex
| | - Gabriella Pravettoni
- Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, University of Milan.,Applied Research Division for Cognitive and Psychological Science, European Institute of Oncology, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico (IRCCS)
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23
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Pützer A, Wolf OT. Effects of the odorant Hedione on the human stress response. Stress 2021; 24:1069-1074. [PMID: 34402719 DOI: 10.1080/10253890.2021.1961128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Olfactory cues can affect subjective and autonomic manifestations of the human stress response, but evidence of altered endocrine stress reactivity is inconclusive. In the present study, we investigated effects of the odorant Hedione on the human stress response. We exposed 56 women in their follicular phases to a stressor in a room scented with Hedione or no odor. Subjective stress was captured via repeated self-report measurements and the assessment of anticipatory appraisal. As physiological markers of stress, we assessed blood pressure, salivary cortisol and alpha-amylase. The odorant enhanced the cortisol and cardiovascular stress response while leaving subjective stress unaffected. Our results provide evidence for a modulation of the human response to acute psychosocial stress by Hedione. A potential mechanism underlying this effect is Hedione targeting the hypothalamus via binding to the VN1R1 receptor, which is expressed on the human nasal mucosa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anika Pützer
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Oliver T Wolf
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
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24
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Oleszkiewicz A, Idziak P, Rokosz M. The Importance of Intact Senses in Mating and Social Assessments Made by Deaf Individuals. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2021; 50:3799-3808. [PMID: 34637046 PMCID: PMC8604834 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-021-02016-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2019] [Revised: 09/18/2020] [Accepted: 04/16/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Social perception is a multimodal process involving vision and audition as central input sources for human social cognitive processes. However, it remains unclear how profoundly deaf people assess others in the context of mating and social interaction. The current study explored the relative importance of different sensory modalities (vision, smell, and touch) in assessments of opposite- and same-sex strangers. We focused on potential sensory compensation processes in mate selection (i.e., increased importance of the intact senses in forming impressions of an opposite-sex stranger as a potential partner). A total of 74 deaf individuals and 100 normally hearing controls were included in the study sample. We found diminished importance of vision and smell in deaf participants compared with controls for opposite- and same-sex strangers, and increased importance of touch for the assessment of same-sex strangers. The results suggested that deaf people rely less on visual and olfactory cues in mating and social assessments, highlighting a possible role of sign language in shaping interpersonal tactile experience in non-romantic relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Oleszkiewicz
- Institute of Psychology, University of Wroclaw, ul. Dawida 1, 50-527, Wrocław, Poland.
- Taste and Smell Clinic, Technische Universitat Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
| | - Paulina Idziak
- Faculty of Psychology, SWPS University of Social Sciences and Humanities, Wrocław, Poland
| | - Marta Rokosz
- Institute of Psychology, University of Wroclaw, ul. Dawida 1, 50-527, Wrocław, Poland
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25
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The Link between Attachment Style and Self-Reported Olfactory Ability: A Preliminary Investigation. Brain Sci 2021; 11:brainsci11101367. [PMID: 34679431 PMCID: PMC8533800 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11101367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2021] [Revised: 10/14/2021] [Accepted: 10/16/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Individuals in healthy romantic relationships gain significant benefits to their psychological wellbeing and physiological health. Notably, the majority of relationship research has focused on how adult attachment influences these relationship outcomes while the role of olfaction remains an emerging research focus. The aim of the current study was to bring together these seemingly unrelated factors–attachment and olfaction–in an online quasi-experimental design. The participants were 401 undergraduate students, predominantly females, ranging in age from 17 to 70 years. Participants completed a battery of questionnaires that evaluated their attachment tendencies, olfactory ability and experiences in romantic relationships. Results indicated that attachment insecurity, across both attachment anxiety and avoidance, was associated with decreased olfactory functioning for females. These findings provide preliminary evidence that olfaction is related to romantic relationship maintenance and suggests that body odors could be fundamental for evoking the attachment system. These findings also elicit enticing new avenues of research which can assist psychologists to provide targeted treatments to individuals with olfactory deficits and insecure attachment tendencies.
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26
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Damon F, Mezrai N, Magnier L, Leleu A, Durand K, Schaal B. Olfaction in the Multisensory Processing of Faces: A Narrative Review of the Influence of Human Body Odors. Front Psychol 2021; 12:750944. [PMID: 34675855 PMCID: PMC8523678 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.750944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2021] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
A recent body of research has emerged regarding the interactions between olfaction and other sensory channels to process social information. The current review examines the influence of body odors on face perception, a core component of human social cognition. First, we review studies reporting how body odors interact with the perception of invariant facial information (i.e., identity, sex, attractiveness, trustworthiness, and dominance). Although we mainly focus on the influence of body odors based on axillary odor, we also review findings about specific steroids present in axillary sweat (i.e., androstenone, androstenol, androstadienone, and estratetraenol). We next survey the literature showing body odor influences on the perception of transient face properties, notably in discussing the role of body odors in facilitating or hindering the perception of emotional facial expression, in relation to competing frameworks of emotions. Finally, we discuss the developmental origins of these olfaction-to-vision influences, as an emerging literature indicates that odor cues strongly influence face perception in infants. Body odors with a high social relevance such as the odor emanating from the mother have a widespread influence on various aspects of face perception in infancy, including categorization of faces among other objects, face scanning behavior, or facial expression perception. We conclude by suggesting that the weight of olfaction might be especially strong in infancy, shaping social perception, especially in slow-maturing senses such as vision, and that this early tutoring function of olfaction spans all developmental stages to disambiguate a complex social environment by conveying key information for social interactions until adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabrice Damon
- Developmental Ethology and Cognitive Psychology Laboratory, Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l’Alimentation, Inrae, AgroSup Dijon, CNRS (UMR 6265), Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Dijon, France
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27
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Abstract
Abstract
Introduction
Research has provided evidence for the transfer of single emotions including anger, anxiety and happiness through olfactory chemosignals, yet no work has examined the role of odour function in the aggregation of more complex emotional states or in the emotional contagion process. The aim of the present study was to ascertain whether an individual’s tendency to experience emotional aggregation was affected by objective measures of their olfactory function and subjective self-assessments of the importance of their own olfactory system.
Methods
In this study (N = 70), participant pairs were first assessed individually for olfactory threshold and odour identification, then completed the Importance of Olfaction Questionnaire. Each pair subsequently took part in two collaborative tasks. Individual emotion measures were taken before, during and after the completion of the two tasks.
Results
Multilevel structural equation modelling revealed that individuals’ within-dyad positive emotional agreement scores were associated with both their ‘importance of olfaction’ scores and their olfactory function. A significant association was also found between olfactory performance and the Importance of Olfaction scores.
Conclusions
These results provide evidence that the subjective importance an individual assigns to their sense of smell can predict their susceptibility to experience emotional aggregation during active, collaborative tasks.
Implications
The findings suggest that individuals’ tendency and capability to detect and respond to emotional chemosignals, a process required for olfactory-facilitated emotional contagion, may be affected by individual differences in olfactory function and subjective attitudes toward olfaction.
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28
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You See What You Smell: Preferential Processing of Chemosensory Satiety Cues and Its Impact on Body Shape Perception. Brain Sci 2021; 11:brainsci11091152. [PMID: 34573175 PMCID: PMC8464758 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11091152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2021] [Revised: 08/25/2021] [Accepted: 08/26/2021] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The current study examines neural responses to satiety- and fasting-related volatiles and their effect on the processing of body shapes. Axillary sweat was sampled with cotton pads from 10 individuals after 12 h of fasting, and after having consumed a standard breakfast. Pure cotton pads served as the control. The chemosensory stimuli were presented to 20 participants (via a constant-flow olfactometer) exclusively, and additionally as context to images of overweight and underweight avatars. EEG was recorded (61 electrodes), and chemosensory (CSERPs; P1, N1, P2, P3) and visual event-related potentials (VERPs; N1, P2, P3a, P3b) were analyzed. The amplitudes of all positive CSERP components differed more strongly from cotton in response to chemosensory satiety cues as compared to fasting cues (P1: p = 0.023, P2: p = 0.083, P3: p = 0.031), paralleled by activity within the middle frontal and temporal gyrus. Overweight compared to underweight body shapes tended to elicit larger VERP P2 amplitudes (p = 0.068), and chemosensory satiety cues amplified the VERP amplitudes in response to any body shape (P2, P3a, P3b; all ps ≤ 0.017) as compared to the cotton control. The results indicate that chemosensory satiety cues transmit complex social information, overriding the processing of analogous visual input.
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29
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Blomkvist A, Hofer M. Olfactory impairment and close social relationships. A narrative review. Chem Senses 2021; 46:6342176. [PMID: 34351415 PMCID: PMC8385889 DOI: 10.1093/chemse/bjab037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Olfactory impairment is one of the more unique symptoms of COVID-19 infection and has therefore enjoyed increased public attention in recent months. Olfactory impairment has various implications and consequences ranging from difficulty detecting dangerous pathogens to hindering social functioning and social behaviors. We provide an overview of how olfactory impairment can impact 3 types of close social relationships: family relationships, friendships, and romantic relationships. Evidence is divided into several categories representing potential mechanisms by which olfactory impairment can impact close social relationships: bonding disruptions, decreased social support, missed group-eating experiences, hygiene concerns, and altered sexual behaviors. We conclude with a discussion of emerging future research questions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Marlise Hofer
- University of Victoria, Department of Psychology.,University of British Columbia, Department of Psychology
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30
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Spence C. The scent of attraction and the smell of success: crossmodal influences on person perception. Cogn Res Princ Implic 2021; 6:46. [PMID: 34173932 PMCID: PMC8233629 DOI: 10.1186/s41235-021-00311-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2021] [Accepted: 06/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
In recent decades, there has been an explosion of research into the crossmodal influence of olfactory cues on multisensory person perception. Numerous peer-reviewed studies have documented that a variety of olfactory stimuli, from ambient malodours through to fine fragrances, and even a range of chemosensory body odours can influence everything from a perceiver's judgments of another person's attractiveness, age, affect, health/disease status, and even elements of their personality. The crossmodal and multisensory contributions to such effects are reviewed and the limitations/peculiarities of the research that have been published to date are highlighted. At the same time, however, it is important to note that the presence of scent (and/or the absence of malodour) can also influence people's (i.e., a perceiver's) self-confidence which may, in turn, affect how attractive they appear to others. Several potential cognitive mechanisms have been put forward to try and explain such crossmodal/multisensory influences, and some of the neural substrates underpinning these effects have now been characterized. At the end of this narrative review, a number of the potential (and actual) applications for, and implications of, such crossmodal/multisensory phenomena involving olfaction are outlined briefly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles Spence
- Crossmodal Research Laboratory, Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Anna Watts Building, Oxford, OX2 6BW, UK.
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31
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Hernández-Munive AK, Rebolledo-Solleiro D, Fernández-Guasti A. Reduced sexual motivation of diabetic female rats: Restoration with insulin. Horm Behav 2021; 132:104992. [PMID: 33991798 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2021.104992] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2020] [Revised: 03/30/2021] [Accepted: 04/27/2021] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to evaluate female rat sexual motivation in a model of diabetes mellitus type 1. Severe hyperglycemia was induced in ovariectomized Wistar rats by injecting streptozotocin [STZ, 100 mg/kg, i.p.]. Ten days later, females received estradiol benzoate (10 μg/rat, s.c.) plus progesterone (3 mg/rat, s.c.). A group of STZ-treated animals was administered with insulin (2-4 U) every 12 h for 10 days, which normalized glucose levels. In the partner preference (PP) and sexual incentive motivation (SIM) tests, control females spent more time close to a sexually experienced male (SE) than with a castrated male (CM). STZ-treated females stayed the same amount of time with both stimuli, that is, they lost their sexual preference. We also evaluated the sense of smell using two behavioral tests, one related to sexual odors (SO) and another one to food odors (FO). In the SO test, control females spent more time sniffing the sawdust coming from cages that contained SE males; hyperglycemic females remained the same amount of time sniffing the sawdust of both stimuli: SE and CM. In the FO test, no differences were found between control and STZ-treated groups. Insulin treatment reverted the changes observed in hyperglycemic females in the PP, SIM and SO tests. These data suggest that severe hyperglycemia decreases sexual motivation and that insulin recovers such diminution.
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Affiliation(s)
- A K Hernández-Munive
- Departamento de Farmacobiología, Centro de Investigación y Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, México City, Mexico
| | - D Rebolledo-Solleiro
- Laboratorio de Neurobiología Conductual, Departamento de Fisiología, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México City, Mexico; Escuela Internacional de Medicina, Universidad Anáhuac, Cancún, Mexico
| | - A Fernández-Guasti
- Departamento de Farmacobiología, Centro de Investigación y Estudios Avanzados del Instituto Politécnico Nacional, México City, Mexico.
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32
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Meister L, Pause BM. It's trust or risk? Chemosensory anxiety signals affect bargaining in women. Biol Psychol 2021; 162:108114. [PMID: 33979670 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2021.108114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2020] [Revised: 04/30/2021] [Accepted: 05/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
It is well documented how chemosensory anxiety signals affect the perceiver's physiology, however, much less is known about effects on overt social behavior. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of chemosensory anxiety signals on trust and risk behavior in men and women. Axillary sweat samples were collected from 22 men during the experience of social anxiety, and during a sport control condition. In a series of five studies, the chemosensory stimuli were presented via an olfactometer to 214 participants acting as investors in a bargaining task either in interaction with a fictitious human co-player (trust condition) or with a computer program (risk condition). It could be shown that chemosensory anxiety signals reduce trust and risk behavior in women. In men, no effects were observed. Chemosensory anxiety is discussed to be transmitted contagiously, preferentially in women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lukas Meister
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Bettina M Pause
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, Germany.
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33
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Lucre K, Clapton N. The Compassionate Kitbag: A creative and integrative approach to compassion-focused therapy. Psychol Psychother 2021; 94 Suppl 2:497-516. [PMID: 32639097 DOI: 10.1111/papt.12291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/27/2019] [Revised: 05/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE This paper outlines the concept of the 'Compassionate Kitbag', a novel multi-sensory-based means of helping draw together the various elements of compassionate mind training and processes within compassion-focused therapy (CFT), to help clients cultivate and facilitate their capacities for compassion. Building on the work of Lucre and Corten (2013, Psychology and Psychotherapy: Theory, Research and Practice, 86, 387), this is the first published work exploring this concept and the theoretical underpinnings, with a specific focus on how this can be used to support people with attachment and relational trauma. METHODS A narrative review of the literature on multi-sensory stimulation in facilitating people's capacities for compassion was conducted, coupled with a review of the literature of the use of non-human and transitional objects as explained by attachment theory and the broader scientific research underpinning the CFT model. RESULTS Clinical examples of how to use the Compassionate Kitbag to help stimulate compassionate therapeutic processes demonstrate the benefits of and how to begin utilizing this approach in compassion-focused work with clients with complex needs. CONCLUSIONS The Compassionate Kitbag's potential therapeutic value lies in offering multifarious creative and tangible means of accessing compassion to a wide range of individuals whom are typically fearful of, blocked, and/or resistant to compassion. Further research into the wider application of the concept of the Compassionate Kitbag is needed. PRACTITIONER POINTS Many patients with ruptured and/or traumatized early attachment relationships can find more traditional talking therapies difficult to access. Compassion-focused therapy (CFT) can offer an evolutionary-based understanding of interpersonal difficulties which can be helpful for such patients. Creatively harnessing and utilizing multi-sensory and non-linguistic social signals in CFT is key to exercising the care-giving and care-receiving social mentalities that facilitate compassionate flow. There is considerable evidence to support the use of a multi-sensory component to the therapeutic work to help patients cultivate and facilitate their capacities for compassion. The Compassionate Kitbag can be a way of supporting patients to create concrete representations of compassion in the context of the compassionate mind training component of the therapeutic work. Some of these objects can become transitional objects which can aid the therapeutic work.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Neil Clapton
- Avon and Wiltshire Mental Health Partnership NHS Trust, Swindon, UK
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34
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Boesveldt S, Parma V. The importance of the olfactory system in human well-being, through nutrition and social behavior. Cell Tissue Res 2021; 383:559-567. [PMID: 33433688 PMCID: PMC7802608 DOI: 10.1007/s00441-020-03367-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2020] [Accepted: 11/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The human sense of smell is still much underappreciated, despite its importance for vital functions such as warning and protection from environmental hazards, eating behavior and nutrition, and social communication. We here approach olfaction as a sense of well-being and review the available literature on how the sense of smell contributes to building and maintaining well-being through supporting nutrition and social relationships. Humans seem to be able to extract nutritional information from olfactory food cues, which can trigger specific appetite and direct food choice, but may not always impact actual intake behavior. Beyond food enjoyment, as part of quality of life, smell has the ability to transfer and regulate emotional conditions, and thus impacts social relationships, at various stages across life (e.g., prenatal and postnatal, during puberty, for partner selection and in sickness). A better understanding of how olfactory information is processed and employed for these functions so vital for well-being may be used to reduce potential negative consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanne Boesveldt
- Division of Human Nutrition and Health, Wageningen University, Stippeneng 4, 6708, Wageningen, The Netherlands.
| | - Valentina Parma
- Department of Psychology, Temple University, 1701 North 13th Street, PA, 19122, Philadelphia, USA.
- Monell Chemical Senses Center, 3500 Market St., PA, Philadelphia, 19104, USA.
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35
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Crowley PH. Self-Deception about Fecundity in Women : Modeling the Burley Hypothesis. HUMAN NATURE (HAWTHORNE, N.Y.) 2020; 31:421-442. [PMID: 33538980 DOI: 10.1007/s12110-020-09384-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/15/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Concealed fecundity and extended female sexual receptivity have evolved in some primates, including humans, conferring advantages both within primarily monogamous relationships (e.g., benefits from paternity assurance) and from extrapair liaisons (e.g., better access to good genes). As humans evolved the intellectual capacity for decision-making, women became capable of altering their own fertility. In some circumstances, they may choose to ameliorate risks and responsibilities associated with pregnancy by reducing sexual motivation near the perceived most fecund time of their menstrual cycle. But three findings-a general inability of women to accurately recognize their own intervals of fecundity, high variability in ovulation timing, and unconscious transmission and reception of cues associated with fecundity-constitute a physiological and behavioral syndrome that can be considered self-deception. In this study, I develop a descriptive model to determine implications of the hypothesis that these features of female and male physiology and behavior have been shaped by natural selection in response to female decision-making. My analysis shows that consensus motivation for coitus between partners influences both the importance of variable ovulation date and the probability of conception, under the influence of self-deception. It also identifies priorities for future empirical work.
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Affiliation(s)
- Philip H Crowley
- Department of Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, 40506, USA.
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36
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Whittaker DJ, Hagelin JC. Female-Based Patterns and Social Function in Avian Chemical Communication. J Chem Ecol 2020; 47:43-62. [PMID: 33103230 DOI: 10.1007/s10886-020-01230-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2020] [Revised: 09/18/2020] [Accepted: 10/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Much of the growing interest in avian chemical signals has focused on the role of kin recognition or mate attraction, often with an emphasis on males, with uropygial gland secretions perhaps providing information about an individual's identity and quality. Yet, data collected to date suggest sexual dimorphism in uropygial glands and secretions are often emphasized in female, rather than in male birds. That is, when a sexual difference occurs (often during the breeding season only), it is the female that typically exhibits one of three patterns: (1) a larger uropygial gland, (2) a greater abundance of volatile or semi-volatile preen oil compounds and/or (3) greater diversity of preen oil compounds or associated microbes. These patterns fit a majority of birds studied to date (23 of 30 chemically dimorphic species exhibit a female emphasis). Multiple species that do not fit are confounded by a lack of data for seasonal effects or proper quantitative measures of chemical compounds. We propose several social functions for these secretions in female-based patterns, similar to those reported in mammals, but which are largely unstudied in birds. These include: (1) intersexual advertisement of female receptivity or quality, including priming effects on male physiology, (2) intrasexual competition, including scent marking and reproductive suppression or (3) parental behaviors, such as parent-offspring recognition and chemical protection of eggs and nestlings. Revisiting the gaps of chemical studies to quantify the existence of female social chemosignals and any fitness benefit(s) during breeding are potentially fruitful but overlooked areas of future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danielle J Whittaker
- BEACON Center for the Study of Evolution in Action, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA.
| | - Julie C Hagelin
- Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK, 99775, USA
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37
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Rozenkrantz L, Weissgross R, Weiss T, Ravreby I, Frumin I, Shushan S, Gorodisky L, Reshef N, Holzman Y, Pinchover L, Endevelt-Shapira Y, Mishor E, Soroka T, Finkel M, Tagania L, Ravia A, Perl O, Furman-Haran E, Carp H, Sobel N. Unexplained repeated pregnancy loss is associated with altered perceptual and brain responses to men's body-odor. eLife 2020; 9:e55305. [PMID: 32988456 PMCID: PMC7524551 DOI: 10.7554/elife.55305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2020] [Accepted: 08/18/2020] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Mammalian olfaction and reproduction are tightly linked, a link less explored in humans. Here, we asked whether human unexplained repeated pregnancy loss (uRPL) is associated with altered olfaction, and particularly altered olfactory responses to body-odor. We found that whereas most women with uRPL could identify the body-odor of their spouse, most control women could not. Moreover, women with uRPL rated the perceptual attributes of men's body-odor differently from controls. These pronounced differences were accompanied by an only modest albeit significant advantage in ordinary, non-body-odor-related olfaction in uRPL. Next, using structural and functional brain imaging, we found that in comparison to controls, most women with uRPL had smaller olfactory bulbs, yet increased hypothalamic response in association with men's body-odor. These findings combine to suggest altered olfactory perceptual and brain responses in women experiencing uRPL, particularly in relation to men's body-odor. Whether this link has any causal aspects to it remains to be explored.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liron Rozenkrantz
- Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
- The Azrieli National Institute for Human Brain Imaging and Research, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Reut Weissgross
- Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
- The Azrieli National Institute for Human Brain Imaging and Research, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Tali Weiss
- Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
- The Azrieli National Institute for Human Brain Imaging and Research, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Inbal Ravreby
- Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
- The Azrieli National Institute for Human Brain Imaging and Research, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Idan Frumin
- Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
- The Azrieli National Institute for Human Brain Imaging and Research, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Sagit Shushan
- Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
- The Azrieli National Institute for Human Brain Imaging and Research, Rehovot, Israel
- Department of Otolaryngology & Head and Neck Surgery, Edith Wolfson Medical Center, Holon, Israel
| | - Lior Gorodisky
- Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
- The Azrieli National Institute for Human Brain Imaging and Research, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Netta Reshef
- Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
- The Azrieli National Institute for Human Brain Imaging and Research, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Yael Holzman
- Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
- The Azrieli National Institute for Human Brain Imaging and Research, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Liron Pinchover
- Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
- The Azrieli National Institute for Human Brain Imaging and Research, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Yaara Endevelt-Shapira
- Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
- The Azrieli National Institute for Human Brain Imaging and Research, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Eva Mishor
- Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
- The Azrieli National Institute for Human Brain Imaging and Research, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Timna Soroka
- Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
- The Azrieli National Institute for Human Brain Imaging and Research, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Maya Finkel
- Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
- The Azrieli National Institute for Human Brain Imaging and Research, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Liav Tagania
- Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
- The Azrieli National Institute for Human Brain Imaging and Research, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Aharon Ravia
- Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
- The Azrieli National Institute for Human Brain Imaging and Research, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Ofer Perl
- Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
- The Azrieli National Institute for Human Brain Imaging and Research, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Edna Furman-Haran
- The Azrieli National Institute for Human Brain Imaging and Research, Rehovot, Israel
- Life Sciences Core Facilities, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
| | - Howard Carp
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel
| | - Noam Sobel
- Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel
- The Azrieli National Institute for Human Brain Imaging and Research, Rehovot, Israel
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Jessen S. Maternal odor reduces the neural response to fearful faces in human infants. Dev Cogn Neurosci 2020; 45:100858. [PMID: 32927245 PMCID: PMC7495014 DOI: 10.1016/j.dcn.2020.100858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2019] [Revised: 08/18/2020] [Accepted: 09/04/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Maternal odor is known to play an important role in mother-infant-interaction in many altricial species such as rodents. However, we only know very little about its role in early human development. The present study therefore investigated the impact of maternal odor on infant brain responses to emotional expression. We recorded the electroencephalographic (EEG) signal of seven-month-old infants watching happy and fearful faces. Infants in two control groups exposed to no specific odor (control 1) or the odor of a different infant’s mother (control 2) showed the expected EEG fear response. Crucially, this response was markedly absent in the experimental group exposed to their mother’s odor. Thus, infants respond differently to fear signals in the presence of maternal odor. Our data therefore suggest that maternal odor can be a strong modulator of social perception in human infants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Jessen
- Department of Neurology, University of Lübeck, Ratzeburger Allee 160, 23562 Lübeck, Germany.
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Baldovini N, Chaintreau A. Identification of key odorants in complex mixtures occurring in nature. Nat Prod Rep 2020; 37:1589-1626. [PMID: 32692323 DOI: 10.1039/d0np00020e] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Covering: up to 2019Soon after the birth of gas chromatography, mass spectrometry and olfactometry were used as detectors, which allowed impressive development to be achieved in the area of odorant determinations. Since the mid-80s, structured methods of gas chromatography-olfactometry have appeared, allowing the determination of which odor constituents play a key role in materials. Progressively, numerous strategies have been proposed for sample preparation from raw materials, the representativeness evaluation of extracts, the identification of odor constituents, their quantification, and subsequently, the recombination of the key odorants to mimic the initial odor. However, the multiplicity of options at each stage of the analysis leads to a confusing landscape in this field, and thus, the present review aims at critically presenting the available options. For each step, the most frequently used alternatives are described, together with their strengths and weaknesses based on theoretical and experimental justifications according to the literature. These techniques are exemplified by many applications in the literature on aromas, fragrances and essential oils, with the initial focus on wine odorants, followed by a short overview on the molecular diversity of key odorants, which illustrates most of the facets and complexities of odor studies, including the issues raised by odorant interactions such as synergies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicolas Baldovini
- Institut de Chimie de Nice, Faculté des Sciences, Université Côte d'Azur, 06108 Nice Cedex 2, France.
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40
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Barros F, Soares SC. Giving meaning to the social world in autism spectrum disorders: Olfaction as a missing piece of the puzzle? Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 116:239-250. [PMID: 32562688 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.06.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2019] [Revised: 03/09/2020] [Accepted: 06/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Altered social cognition is a core feature of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). These impairments have been explained as the consequence of compromised social motivational mechanisms that limit social interest and activate a cascade of social deficits. Following this rational, we argue that approaches capable of surpassing ASD usual restraints (e.g., deficits in verbal abilities), and able to assign social meaning, could be more effective at responding to these difficulties. In this framework, we propose that olfaction, as well as cross-modal integration strategies involving both visual and olfactory domains, may have such potential. In fact, most of socioemotional processing deficits in ASD have been shown in an uni-modal perspective, mainly with visual stimuli. However, the social environment involves other modalities and is typically multisensorial. Given the potential of olfaction as a gateway for socioemotional information in ASD, we argue in favor of studying olfactory perception, as well as visuo-olfactory integration, given the potential of these approaches to drive effective interventions and give the access to a meaningful social world in ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filipa Barros
- Center for Health Technology and Services Research (CINTESIS), Department of Education and Psychology, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal; William James Center for Research (WJCR), Department of Education and Psychology, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Sandra C Soares
- Center for Health Technology and Services Research (CINTESIS), Department of Education and Psychology, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal; William James Center for Research (WJCR), Department of Education and Psychology, University of Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal; Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Division of Psychology, Karolinska Institutet, Nobels väg 9, 171 77 Stockholm, Sweden.
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41
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Perl O, Mishor E, Ravia A, Ravreby I, Sobel N. Are humans constantly but subconsciously smelling themselves? Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2020; 375:20190372. [PMID: 32306875 PMCID: PMC7209943 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/04/2020] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
All primates, including humans, engage in self-face-touching at very high frequency. The functional purpose or antecedents of this behaviour remain unclear. In this hybrid review, we put forth the hypothesis that self-face-touching subserves self-smelling. We first review data implying that humans touch their faces at very high frequency. We then detail evidence from the one study that implicated an olfactory origin for this behaviour: This evidence consists of significantly increased nasal inhalation concurrent with self-face-touching, and predictable increases or decreases in self-face-touching as a function of subliminal odourant tainting. Although we speculate that self-smelling through self-face-touching is largely an unconscious act, we note that in addition, humans also consciously smell themselves at high frequency. To verify this added statement, we administered an online self-report questionnaire. Upon being asked, approximately 94% of approximately 400 respondents acknowledged engaging in smelling themselves. Paradoxically, we observe that although this very prevalent behaviour of self-smelling is of concern to individuals, especially to parents of children overtly exhibiting self-smelling, the behaviour has nearly no traction in the medical or psychological literature. We suggest psychological and cultural explanations for this paradox, and end in suggesting that human self-smelling become a formal topic of investigation in the study of human social olfaction. This article is part of the Theo Murphy meeting issue 'Olfactory communication in humans'.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Noam Sobel
- Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100, Israel
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42
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Calvi E, Quassolo U, Massaia M, Scandurra A, D'Aniello B, D'Amelio P. The scent of emotions: A systematic review of human intra- and interspecific chemical communication of emotions. Brain Behav 2020; 10:e01585. [PMID: 32212329 PMCID: PMC7218249 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.1585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2019] [Revised: 01/05/2020] [Accepted: 02/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The sense of olfaction has been considered of minor importance in human communication. In recent years, evidence has emerged that humans might be influenced by unconscious messages sent through chemosignals in body odors. Data concerning the ability of humans to recognize fear, maybe related to the evolutionary role of these emotions in the fight-or-flight reactions, are well known. METHODS To further understand the role of emotional chemosignals in mediating communication in humans and its influence on animal behaviors, we conducted a systematic literature review. RESULTS Chemosignals derived from axillary odors collected under a variety of emotional stimuli and sad tears in humans affect receivers' social interactions, danger detection and risk-taking behavior, social aspects of eating, and performance under stressing conditions. In addition, beyond the fight-or-flight response, even the body odors of happiness can be perceived by others. Furthermore, human chemosignals can influence behaviors and stressful responses in animals, particularly dogs and horses, which may partially explain their special relationship with humans. CONCLUSION Our review highlights the importance of chemosignaling in human intra- and interspecific interactions and suggests the need for further investigations, both in physiological conditions and in patients with psychiatric or neurodegenerative disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Calvi
- Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Umberto Quassolo
- Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | | | - Anna Scandurra
- Department of Biology, University of Naples "Federico II", Naples, Italy
| | - Biagio D'Aniello
- Department of Biology, University of Naples "Federico II", Naples, Italy
| | - Patrizia D'Amelio
- Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy.,Department of Medicine, Geriatric Medicine and Geriatric Rehabilitation, CHUV, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland
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43
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Drea CM. Design, delivery and perception of condition-dependent chemical signals in strepsirrhine primates: implications for human olfactory communication. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2020; 375:20190264. [PMID: 32306880 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The study of human chemical communication benefits from comparative perspectives that relate humans, conceptually and empirically, to other primates. All major primate groups rely on intraspecific chemosignals, but strepsirrhines present the greatest diversity and specialization, providing a rich framework for examining design, delivery and perception. Strepsirrhines actively scent mark, possess a functional vomeronasal organ, investigate scents via olfactory and gustatory means, and are exquisitely sensitive to chemically encoded messages. Variation in delivery, scent mixing and multimodality alters signal detection, longevity and intended audience. Based on an integrative, 19-species review, the main scent source used (excretory versus glandular) differentiates nocturnal from diurnal or cathemeral species, reflecting differing socioecological demands and evolutionary trajectories. Condition-dependent signals reflect immutable (species, sex, identity, genetic diversity, immunity and kinship) and transient (health, social status, reproductive state and breeding history) traits, consistent with socio-reproductive functions. Sex reversals in glandular elaboration, marking rates or chemical richness in female-dominant species implicate sexual selection of olfactory ornaments in both sexes. Whereas some compounds may be endogenously produced and modified (e.g. via hormones), microbial analyses of different odorants support the fermentation hypothesis of bacterial contribution. The intimate contexts of information transfer and varied functions provide important parallels applicable to olfactory communication in humans. This article is part of the Theo Murphy meeting issue 'Olfactory communication in humans'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christine M Drea
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708-0383, USA.,Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC 27708-0383, USA
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44
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Pause BM, Storch D, Lübke KT. Chemosensory communication of aggression: women's fine-tuned neural processing of male aggression signals. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2020; 375:20190270. [PMID: 32306885 PMCID: PMC7209929 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0270] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The current study is the first to examine the central nervous processing of aggression chemosignals within men and women by means of chemosensory event-related potential (CSERP) analysis. Axillary sweat was collected from 17 men and 17 women participating in a competitive computer game (aggression condition) and playing a construction game (control condition). Sweat samples were pooled with reference to donor gender and condition, and presented to 23 men and 25 women via a constant flow olfactometer. Ongoing electroencephalogram was recorded from 61 scalp locations, CSERPs (P2, P3-1, P3-2) were analysed and neuronal sources calculated (low-resolution electromagnetic tomography, LORETA). Women, especially, showed larger P3-1 and P3-2 amplitudes in response to male as compared with female aggression signals (all p values < 0.01). The peak activation of this effect was related to activity within the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (Brodmann area 8). As male aggression commonly targets physical harm, the competence of the human brain to sensitively detect male aggression signals is considered to be highly adaptive. The detection of male aggression signals seems to be of higher importance for women than for men. It is suggested that the processing of male aggression signals in women induces an immediate response selection. This article is part of the Theo Murphy meeting issue 'Olfactory communication in humans'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bettina M Pause
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, D-40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Dunja Storch
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, D-40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Katrin T Lübke
- Department of Experimental Psychology, Heinrich-Heine-University Düsseldorf, D-40225 Düsseldorf, Germany
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45
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Ferdenzi C, Richard Ortegón S, Delplanque S, Baldovini N, Bensafi M. Interdisciplinary challenges for elucidating human olfactory attractiveness. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2020; 375:20190268. [PMID: 32306873 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Many species use chemicals to communicate. In humans, there is increasing evidence that chemicals conveyed by the body are extremely important in interpersonal relationships. However, many aspects of chemical communication remain to be explored to fully understand this function in humans. The aim of this article is to identify relevant challenges in this field, with a focus on human attractiveness in the context of reproduction, and to put forward roadmaps for future studies that will hopefully extend to a wider range of social interactions. The first challenge consists in not being limited to body (mal)odours from the axilla. Preliminary data on how the odour of the face and head is perceived are presented. Second, there is a crucial need to increase our knowledge of the chemical bases of human chemical communication. Third, cross-cultural approaches must not be overlooked, because they have a major input in understanding the universal and culture-specific aspects of chemical communication. Fourth, the influence of specific cultural practices such as contraceptive and fragrance use is likely to be prominent and, therefore, needs to be well described. The fifth and last challenge for research projects in this field is the integration of different disciplines such as behavioural sciences, social sciences, neurosciences and microbiology. This article is part of the Theo Murphy meeting issue 'Olfactory communication in humans'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camille Ferdenzi
- Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon, CNRS UMR 5292, INSERM U1028, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Centre Hospitalier Le Vinatier, F-69675 Bron Cedex, France
| | - Stéphane Richard Ortegón
- Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon, CNRS UMR 5292, INSERM U1028, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Centre Hospitalier Le Vinatier, F-69675 Bron Cedex, France
| | - Sylvain Delplanque
- Swiss Center for Affective Sciences, University of Geneva, CH-1202 Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Nicolas Baldovini
- Institut de Chimie de Nice, CNRS UMR 7272, Université Côte d'Azur, F-06108 Nice, France
| | - Moustafa Bensafi
- Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon, CNRS UMR 5292, INSERM U1028, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Centre Hospitalier Le Vinatier, F-69675 Bron Cedex, France
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Lobmaier JS, Probst F, Fischbacher U, Wirthmüller U, Knoch D. Pleasant body odours, but not genetic similarity, influence trustworthiness in a modified trust game. Sci Rep 2020; 10:3388. [PMID: 32099082 PMCID: PMC7042344 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-60407-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2019] [Accepted: 02/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Identifying trustworthy partners is an important adaptive challenge for establishing mutually cooperative relationships. Previous studies have demonstrated a marked relationship between a person's attractiveness and his apparent trustworthiness (beauty premium). Kin selection theory, however, suggests that cues to kinship enhance trustworthiness. Here we directly tested predictions of the beauty premium and kin selection theory by using body odours as cues to trustworthiness. Body odours reportedly portray information about an individuals' genotype at the human leucocyte antigen system (HLA) and thus olfactory cues in body odours serve as a promising means for kin recognition. Ninety men played trust games in which they divided uneven sums of monetary units between two male trustees represented by their body odour and rated each body odour for pleasantness. Half of the odours came from HLA-similar men (suggesting closer kin) and half from HLA dissimilar men (suggesting non-kin). We found that the amount of money the players transferred was not related to HLA-similarity, but to the pleasantness of the trustee's body odour. By showing that people with more pleasant body odours are trusted more than people with unpleasant body odour we provide evidence for a "beauty-premium" that overrides any putative effect of kin.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janek S Lobmaier
- Department of Social Neuroscience and Social Psychology, Institute of Psychology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
| | - Fabian Probst
- Department of Social Neuroscience and Social Psychology, Institute of Psychology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Urs Fischbacher
- Department of Economics, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- Thurgau Institute of Economics, Kreuzlingen, Switzerland
| | - Urs Wirthmüller
- Universitätsinstitut für Klinische Chemie, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Daria Knoch
- Department of Social Neuroscience and Social Psychology, Institute of Psychology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
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47
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Pützer A, Brüne M, Hatt H, Wolf OT. Hedione Reduces Subjective Vicarious Stress. Front Behav Neurosci 2020; 13:297. [PMID: 32038191 PMCID: PMC6978662 DOI: 10.3389/fnbeh.2019.00297] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2019] [Accepted: 12/30/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Observing another person in a stressful situation can cause a full-blown physiological stress response in the observer, which is referred to as empathic stress. One way through which stress-related information might be transmitted between individuals under conditions of empathic stress is chemosensory communication. In the present study, we investigated whether the odorant Hedione, as a potential chemosignal, affects the empathic stress response at a physiological and psychological level. For this purpose, two experiments were designed, each testing one group of participants in an odor-free room and a second group in a room scented with Hedione. In Experiment 1, 60 participants (25 males) watched a video of an unknown female participant in the Trier Social Stress Test (TSST). In Experiment 2, 37 free-cycling females watched a live video of a male participant in the TSST. Observers’ psychological and physiological stress response was captured via repeated measurements of salivary cortisol, alpha-amylase, and self-report ratings. Empathy with the stressed participants was assessed on the dimensions of personal distress and empathic concern of the Emotional Response Scale (ERS). Our results show no substantial physiological stress response in the observers and no effect of Hedione on physiological stress measures. Further, in Experiment 1, there was no subjective stress elicited by the video and no effect of Hedione. In Experiment 2, the observation was perceived as stressful and Hedione reduced subjective vicarious stress. The subjective stress response was associated with the Observers’ direct personal distress, but not with their empathic concern for the target in both experiments. Based on the findings presented above, we conclude that under conditions of empathic stress, Hedione alleviates subjectively perceived stress felt when observing another person being stressed, while leaving empathic concern for the target unaffected. In this regard, future research is warranted to clarify the underlying mechanisms of this effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anika Pützer
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.,International Graduate School of Neuroscience, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Martin Brüne
- International Graduate School of Neuroscience, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.,LWL University Hospital Bochum, Department of Psychiatry, Division of Social Neuropsychiatry and Evolutionary Medicine, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Hanns Hatt
- Cell Physiology, Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - Oliver T Wolf
- Department of Cognitive Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.,International Graduate School of Neuroscience, Ruhr University Bochum, Bochum, Germany
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Maier A, Heinen-Ludwig L, Güntürkün O, Hurlemann R, Scheele D. Childhood Maltreatment Alters the Neural Processing of Chemosensory Stress Signals. Front Psychiatry 2020; 11:783. [PMID: 32848947 PMCID: PMC7425696 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyt.2020.00783] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2020] [Accepted: 07/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Accumulating evidence suggests that childhood maltreatment (CM) confers risk for psychopathology later in life by inducing hypervigilance to social threat cues such as fearful faces. However, it remains unclear whether the modulatory impact of CM extents to the olfactory domain of social communication in humans. To address this question, we examined whether CM modulates the neural processing of chemosensory threat signals in sweat and whether CM affects the stress-reducing effects of oxytocin (OXT) in this context. In a randomized, double-blind within-subject functional MRI study design, 58 healthy participants (30 females) received intranasal OXT (40 IU) or placebo (PLC) and completed a forced-choice emotion recognition task with faces of varying emotion intensities (neutral to fearful) while exposed to sweat stimuli and a non-social control odor. Axillary sweat samples were collected from 30 healthy male donors undergoing an acute psychosocial stressor (stress) and ergometer training (sport) as control in a pre-study. CM was assessed by the 25-item Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ). The final fMRI analysis included 50 healthy participants (26 females). Regression analysis showed a stress-specific association of CTQ scores with amygdala hyperreactivity, hippocampal deactivation, and increased functional connectivity between the amygdala and the hippocampus, medial orbitofrontal cortex, and the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) under PLC. Furthermore, we observed a positive association of CTQ scores and the dampening effects of OXT on stress-related amygdala responses. Our findings suggest that CM may induce hypervigilance to chemosensory threat cues in a healthy sample due to inefficient frontolimbic inhibition of amygdala activation. Future studies should investigate whether increased recruitment of the intralimbic amygdala-hippocampus complex reflects a compensatory mechanism that prevents the development of psychopathology in those who have experienced CM. Furthermore, the results reveal that the stress-specific effects of OXT in the olfactory domain are more pronounced in participants with increasing levels of CM exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayline Maier
- Division of Medical Psychology, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Luca Heinen-Ludwig
- Division of Medical Psychology, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Onur Güntürkün
- Department of Psychology, Laboratory for Biological Psychology, Ruhr-University of Bochum, Bochum, Germany
| | - René Hurlemann
- Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine & Health Sciences, University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany.,Research Center Neurosensory Science, University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
| | - Dirk Scheele
- Division of Medical Psychology, Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany.,Department of Psychiatry, School of Medicine & Health Sciences, University of Oldenburg, Oldenburg, Germany
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Ferdenzi C, Razafindrazaka H, Baldovini N, Poupon D, Pierron D, Bensafi M. Influence of gender and culture on the perception of acidic compounds of human body odor. Physiol Behav 2019; 210:112561. [PMID: 31178171 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2019.112561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2018] [Revised: 04/17/2019] [Accepted: 05/24/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
There is increasing evidence that human body odor is involved in interpersonal communication. However, among the wide variety of substances excreted by the human body that might act as chemosignals, much attention has been granted to androstenes to the detriment of other categories. Here, we focused on the acidic fraction of human body odor. We investigated men and women's perceptual descriptions and detection thresholds of the sexually dimorphic (male) compound 3-hydroxy-3-methylhexanoic acid (HMHA) in two contrasted cultures, France and Madagascar. Perceptual responses to HMHA in both countries were very similar. HMHA proved to be more typical of body odor than another chemically-related major compound of human body odor 3MHA (3-methylhex-2-enoic acid also known as 3M2H). A significant portion of the samples studied (between 8 and 19%) was likely to be anosmic to HMHA (and to 3MHA: 25%). Although differences would be expected between men and women's perceptual responses to HMHA, based on the assumption that this compound would have a function in human partner choice, no sex differences were found for any of the perceptual variables. However, in Malagasy women, perceived intensity of HMHA was higher in participants who were in the fertile phase of the menstrual cycle. Whether HMHA is relevant in the perception of a potential partner thus requires further explorations, with more implicit approaches for example and/or by investigating the repercussions of HMHA specific anosmia on interpersonal relationships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Camille Ferdenzi
- Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon, CNRS UMR 5292, INSERM U1028, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Centre Hospitalier Le Vinatier, 95 bd Pinel, 69675 Bron Cedex, France.
| | - Harilanto Razafindrazaka
- Laboratoire d'Anthropologie Moléculaire et Imagerie de Synthèse, CNRS UMR 5288, Université Toulouse 3, 37 Allées Jules Guesde, 31073 Toulouse Cedex 3, France; Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS, EFS, ADES, Marseille, France; Institute for Advanced Study in Toulouse, 21 allée de Brienne, 31015 Cedex 6, Toulouse, France
| | - Nicolas Baldovini
- Institut de Chimie de Nice, CNRS UMR 7272, Université de Nice-Sophia Antipolis, Parc Valrose, 28 avenue Valrose, 06108 Nice Cedex 2, France
| | - Daphnée Poupon
- Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon, CNRS UMR 5292, INSERM U1028, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Centre Hospitalier Le Vinatier, 95 bd Pinel, 69675 Bron Cedex, France
| | - Denis Pierron
- Laboratoire d'Anthropologie Moléculaire et Imagerie de Synthèse, CNRS UMR 5288, Université Toulouse 3, 37 Allées Jules Guesde, 31073 Toulouse Cedex 3, France
| | - Moustafa Bensafi
- Centre de Recherche en Neurosciences de Lyon, CNRS UMR 5292, INSERM U1028, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, Centre Hospitalier Le Vinatier, 95 bd Pinel, 69675 Bron Cedex, France
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Uebi T, Hariyama T, Suzuki K, Kanayama N, Nagata Y, Ayabe-Kanamura S, Yanase S, Ohtsubo Y, Ozaki M. Sampling, identification and sensory evaluation of odors of a newborn baby's head and amniotic fluid. Sci Rep 2019; 9:12759. [PMID: 31485001 PMCID: PMC6726625 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-49137-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2019] [Accepted: 08/20/2019] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
For baby odor analyses, noninvasive, stress-free sample collection is important. Using a simple method, we succeeded in obtaining fresh odors from the head of five newborn babies. These odors were chemically analyzed by two-dimensional gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC × GC-MS), and compared with each other or with the odor of amniotic fluid from the baby's mother. We identified 31 chemical components of the volatile odors from neonate heads and 21 from amniotic fluid. Although 15 of these components were common to both sources, there was an apparent difference in the GC × GC patterns between the head and amniotic fluid odors, so the neonate head odor might be individually distinct immediately after birth. Therefore, we made artificial mixtures of the major odor components of the neonate head and maternal amniotic fluid, and used psychological tests to examine whether or not these odors could be distinguished from each other. Our data show that the artificial odor of a neonate head could be distinguished from that of amniotic fluid, and that the odors of artificial head odor mixtures could be correctly discriminated for neonates within an hour after birth and at 2 or 3 days of age.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatsuya Uebi
- Department of Biology, Graduate School of Science, Kobe University, Kobe, Japan.
| | - Takahiko Hariyama
- Preeminent Medical Photonics Education & Research Center, Institute for NanoSuit Research, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan
| | - Kazunao Suzuki
- Perinatal Medical Center, Hamamatsu University Hospital, Hamamatsu, Japan
| | - Naohiro Kanayama
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Hamamatsu, Japan
| | - Yoshifumi Nagata
- Faculty of Science and Engineering, Iwate University, Morioka, Japan
| | - Saho Ayabe-Kanamura
- Division of Psychology, Faculty of Human Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Shihoko Yanase
- Department of Biology, Graduate School of Science, Kobe University, Kobe, Japan
| | - Yohsuke Ohtsubo
- Department of Psychology, Graduate School of Humanities, Kobe University, Kobe, Japan
| | - Mamiko Ozaki
- Department of Biology, Graduate School of Science, Kobe University, Kobe, Japan
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