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Laktionova T, Kvasha I, Voznessenskaya V. Male Body Odor Affects Emotional State, LH, and Cortisol Secretion in Women of Different Age Groups. Brain Sci 2024; 14:721. [PMID: 39061461 PMCID: PMC11274401 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci14070721] [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: 06/08/2024] [Revised: 07/13/2024] [Accepted: 07/14/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Hormone changes across women's menstrual cycles may lead to changes in their perceptions of chemical signals and their hormonal responses to these cues. The aim of the present study was to determine the role of menstrual cycle phase in the response to extracts of male axillary secretions (EMAS) in women. We tested healthy reproductive age and premenopausal women (n = 29). An EMAS/control solution was applied once every two hours during either the follicular or luteal phase, at which point saliva samples for luteinizing hormone (LH) and cortisol monitoring were collected. LH and cortisol concentrations were analyzed using the enzyme immunoassay (EIA) technique. Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS) and Visual Analogue Scales (VAS) scores were used to assess the participants' moods. For the first time, we showed that EMAS may produce opposite effects on LH secretion depending on the menstrual cycle phase of the recipient. We observed a significant increase in the number of LH peaks (p = 0.0447) and their amplitudes (p = 0.0469) when EMAS was applied during the follicular phase, while the same application in the luteal phase lowered the amplitudes of LH peaks (p = 0.0382). For the first time, we showed that EMAS application increased salivary cortisol levels in reproductive age women relative to premenopausal women (p = 0.0032). PANAS scores revealed changes in positive and negative affect after EMAS application. Our data indicate the significance of the menstrual cycle phase for EMAS' effects on LH secretion and mood, but not on cortisol secretion in women.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tatiana Laktionova
- A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences, 33 Leninski Prospect, 119071 Moscow, Russia
| | - Ilya Kvasha
- A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences, 33 Leninski Prospect, 119071 Moscow, Russia
| | - Vera Voznessenskaya
- A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences, 33 Leninski Prospect, 119071 Moscow, Russia
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2
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Spence C, Zhang T. Multisensory contributions to skin-cosmetic product interactions. Int J Cosmet Sci 2024. [PMID: 38761125 DOI: 10.1111/ics.12975] [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: 03/15/2024] [Revised: 04/16/2024] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 05/20/2024]
Abstract
The human face is one of the most salient regions of the body surface. Ratings of facial attractiveness, as well as judgements of a person's age, are influenced by the appearance of facial skin (not to mention the presence/absence of wrinkles). Unsurprisingly, many consumers spend huge amounts of money on trying to protect, maintain, and/or enhance their facial appearance. As highlighted by the evidence presented in this narrative review, both the skin and the cosmetic products that many consumers use are fundamentally multisensory in nature. The complex interaction between the particular skin site stimulated and the multisensory attributes of the product (e.g., when it is applied) can exert a number of effects on an individual's mood, their emotions, as well as on their self-perception (and self-confidence), over-and-above any functional effects that the cream or lotion may have on the skin itself. In this narrative historical review, the literature on the multisensory perception of facial skin is summarized and critically evaluated. Multisensory interactions taking place between the cosmetic product, its packaging, as well as its use/application at the sensory, cognitive, and emotional levels are all discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles Spence
- Department of Experimental Psychology, New Radcliffe House, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Tianyi Zhang
- Department of Experimental Psychology, New Radcliffe House, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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3
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Davies-Owen J, Roberts H, Scott M, Thomas A, Sen S, Sethna S, Roberts C, Giesbrecht T, Fallon N. Beauty is in the nose of the beholder: Fragrance modulates attractiveness, confidence and femininity ratings and neural responses to faces of self and others. Behav Brain Res 2024; 465:114932. [PMID: 38437921 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2024.114932] [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] [Received: 08/09/2023] [Revised: 02/27/2024] [Accepted: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 03/06/2024]
Abstract
Previous research investigated cross-modal influence of olfactory stimuli on perception and evaluation of faces. However, little is known about the neural dynamics underpinning this multisensory perception, and no research examined perception for images of oneself, and others, in presence of fragrances. This study investigated the neural mechanisms of olfactory-visual processing using electroencephalography (EEG) and subjective evaluations of self- and other-images. 22 female participants evaluated images of female actors and themselves while being exposed to the fragrance of a commercially available body wash or clean air delivered via olfactometer. Participants rated faces for attractiveness, femininity, confidence and glamorousness on visual analogue scales. EEG data was recorded and event-related potentials (ERPs) associated with onset of face stimuli were analysed to consider effects of fragrance presence on face processing, and interactions between fragrance and self-other image-type. Subjective ratings of confidence, attractiveness and femininity were increased for both image-types in pleasant fragrance relative to clean air condition. ERP components covering early-to-late stages of face processing were modulated by the presence of fragrance. Findings also revealed a cross-modal fragrance-face interaction, with pleasant fragrance particularly affecting ERPs to self-images in mid-latency ERP components. Results showed that the pleasant fragrance of the commercially available body wash impacted how participants perceived faces of self and others. Self- and other-image faces were subjectively rated as more attractive, confident and feminine in the presence of the pleasant fragrance compared to an un-fragranced control. The pleasant fragrance also modulated underlying electrophysiological activity. For the first time, an effect of pleasant fragrance on face perception was observed in the N1 component, suggesting impact within 100 ms. Pleasant fragrance also demonstrated greater impact on subsequent neural processing for self, relative to other-faces. The findings have implications for understanding multisensory integration during evaluations of oneself and others.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Davies-Owen
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Population Health, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Hannah Roberts
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Population Health, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Margaret Scott
- Unilever Research & Development, Port Sunlight, United Kingdom
| | - Anna Thomas
- Unilever Research & Development, Port Sunlight, United Kingdom
| | - Soumitra Sen
- Unilever Research & Development, Mumbai UIPL, India
| | | | - Carl Roberts
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Population Health, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Timo Giesbrecht
- Unilever Research & Development, Port Sunlight, United Kingdom
| | - Nicholas Fallon
- Department of Psychology, Institute of Population Health, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom.
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Feng G, Lei J. The Effect of Odor Valence on Facial Attractiveness Judgment: A Preliminary Experiment. Brain Sci 2022; 12:brainsci12050665. [PMID: 35625051 PMCID: PMC9139389 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12050665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Revised: 05/16/2022] [Accepted: 05/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The role of social odors on human social interactions, including face evaluation, has been widely indicated. However, for nonsocial odors, there has not been a consistent conclusion. Therefore, this study aimed to verify the effect of suprathreshold nonsocial odors on facial attractiveness judgment when the visual input is ambiguous. We designed a 3 (odor valence: neutral, pleasant, and unpleasant) × 7 (continuous levels of morphed fuzziness of attractiveness: 37.5% to 62.5%) within-subject experiment. A total of 30 participants (18 females) completed the whole experiment simultaneously for three consecutive days. The results showed that faces presented with pleasant and neutral odors were judged as significantly more attractive than those with unpleasant odors. The intervention effect of odor valence on facial attractiveness differed by fuzzy attractiveness levels. Results also suggested that male faces were perceived as more attractive than female faces no matter the odor conditions. The results of this study provide evidence to support the cross-modal emotion integration effect of olfaction and vision. Follow-up studies need to be conducted to reveal the underlying mechanism of odor valence on visual fact attractive judgment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guo Feng
- Psychological Research and Counseling Center, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 611756, China
- Institute of Applied Psychology, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 611756, China
| | - Jiawei Lei
- Psychological Research and Counseling Center, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 611756, China
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5
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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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6
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Oleszkiewicz A, Suhle P, Haehner A, Croy I. Prior exposure to Hedione, a model of pheromone, does not affect female ratings of male facial attractiveness or likeability. Physiol Behav 2021; 238:113458. [PMID: 34033848 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2021.113458] [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: 03/19/2021] [Revised: 04/20/2021] [Accepted: 05/09/2021] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
The existence of pheromones in humans is controversial, partly because of definitional difficulties and partly because of the question of possible chemical substances. The synthetic compound Methyl dihydrojasmonate (Hedione) is potent to bind to vomeronasal-type 1 receptors (VN1R1s) and activate limbic areas of the brain in a sex-specific manner. However, one of the most important definitional points for a human pheromone effect has not yet been investigated, i.e., whether smelling Hedione, a model of pheromone, has a behavioral effect. We tested in females whether Hedione leads to altered perception of male social stimuli. Each of the included women were sensitive to Hedione and were tested around the time of ovulation in three consecutive sessions, during each they were exposed to either Hedione or Phenylethyl alcohol or Odorless air. We measured the speed of male face recognition (implicit priming task) and collected ratings of facial attractiveness and likeability of men (explicit task). Only about half of the women tested were sensitive to Hedione. Those women did not show any effect of Hedione exposure in the implicit priming task and moderate, but non-significant effects in the explicit task. We therefore assume that Hedione is not a potent model of pheromone in humans and this observation may be due to the fact that the artificially produced substance is not suited for signaling the proximity of other humans. Furthermore, the high rate of Hedione-specific anosmia leads to the hypothesis that a substantial proportion of individuals has a poor V1NR1 receptor expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Oleszkiewicz
- Smell and Taste Clinic, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, TU Dresden, Germany; Institute of Psychology, University of Wroclaw, Poland.
| | - Paulina Suhle
- Department of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatic Medicine, TU Dresden, Germany
| | - Antje Haehner
- Smell and Taste Clinic, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, TU Dresden, Germany
| | - Ilona Croy
- Department of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatic Medicine, TU Dresden, Germany; Department of Psychology, Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Germany
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Syrjänen E, Fischer H. A Review of the Effects of Valenced Odors on Face Perception and Evaluation. Iperception 2021; 12:20416695211009552. [PMID: 33996021 PMCID: PMC8111279 DOI: 10.1177/20416695211009552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2020] [Accepted: 03/23/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
How do valenced odors affect the perception and evaluation of facial expressions? We reviewed 25 studies published from 1989 to 2020 on cross-modal behavioral effects of odors on the perception of faces. The results indicate that odors may influence facial evaluations and classifications in several ways. Faces are rated as more arousing during simultaneous odor exposure, and the rated valence of faces is affected in the direction of the odor valence. For facial classification tasks, in general, valenced odors, whether pleasant or unpleasant, decrease facial emotion classification speed. The evidence for valence congruency effects was inconsistent. Some studies found that exposure to a valenced odor facilitates the processing of a similarly valenced facial expression. The results for facial evaluation were mirrored in classical conditioning studies, as faces conditioned with valenced odors were rated in the direction of the odor valence. However, the evidence of odor effects was inconsistent when the task was to classify faces. Furthermore, using a z-curve analysis, we found clear evidence for publication bias. Our recommendations for future research include greater consideration of individual differences in sensation and cognition, individual differences (e.g., differences in odor sensitivity related to age, gender, or culture), establishing standardized experimental assessments and stimuli, larger study samples, and embracing open research practices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elmeri Syrjänen
- Elmeri Syrjänen, Psykologiska Institutionen, Stockholms Universitet, Stockholm 106 91, Sweden.
| | - Håkan Fischer
- Department of Psychology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
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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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9
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Cecchetto C, Fischmeister FPS, Gorkiewicz S, Schuehly W, Bagga D, Parma V, Schöpf V. Human body odor increases familiarity for faces during encoding-retrieval task. Hum Brain Mapp 2020; 41:1904-1919. [PMID: 31904899 PMCID: PMC7268037 DOI: 10.1002/hbm.24920] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2019] [Revised: 10/31/2019] [Accepted: 12/29/2019] [Indexed: 01/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Odors can increase memory performance when presented as context during both encoding and retrieval phases. Since information from different sensory modalities is integrated into a unified conceptual knowledge, we hypothesize that the social information from body odors and faces would be integrated during encoding. The integration of such social information would enhance retrieval more so than when the encoding occurs in the context of common odors. To examine this hypothesis and to further explore the underlying neural correlates of this behavior, we have conducted a functional magnetic resonance imaging study in which participants performed an encoding‐retrieval memory task for faces during the presentation of common odor, body odor or clean air. At the behavioral level, results show that participants were less biased and faster in recognizing faces when presented in concomitance with the body odor compared to the common odor. At the neural level, the encoding of faces in the body odor condition, compared to common odor and clean air conditions, showed greater activation in areas related to associative memory (dorsolateral prefrontal cortex), odor perception and multisensory integration (orbitofrontal cortex). These results suggest that face and body odor information were integrated and as a result, participants were faster in recognizing previously presented material.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cinzia Cecchetto
- Institute of Psychology, University of Graz, Graz, Austria.,BioTechMed, Graz, Austria
| | | | | | | | - Deepika Bagga
- Institute of Psychology, University of Graz, Graz, Austria.,BioTechMed, Graz, Austria
| | - Valentina Parma
- Department of Psychology, Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Veronika Schöpf
- Institute of Psychology, University of Graz, Graz, Austria.,BioTechMed, Graz, Austria.,Computational Imaging Research Lab (CIR), Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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10
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Women smelling men's masked body odors show enhanced harm aversion in moral dilemmas. Physiol Behav 2019; 201:212-220. [PMID: 30639588 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2019.01.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2018] [Revised: 01/09/2019] [Accepted: 01/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Among the most unnoticeable stimuli providing social information, body odors are powerful social tools that can modulate behavioral and neural processing. It has recently been shown that body odors can affect moral decision-making, by increasing the activations in neural areas processing social and emotional information during the decision process. The aim of the present study was twofold: 1) to test whether body odors selectively affect decisions to real dilemmatic moral scenario (incongruent) vs. fake (congruent) dilemmas, and 2) to characterize whether the impact of masked body odors is modulated by four conceptual factors: personal force, intentionality, benefit recipient and evitability. Women chose between utilitarian (sacrificing a person's life in order to save other lives) or deontological actions (deciding against the harmful action) in 64 moral dilemmas under the exposure of a neutral fragrance (masker) or a masked male body odor. Our results showed that the masked male body odor did not specifically affect the answers to real and fake dilemmas but instead, its effect is modulating whether the agent harms the victim in a direct or indirect manner (personal force) to save herself or only other people (benefit recipient). In particular, when exposed to the masked body odor participants gave more deontological answers when the harm was indirect and only other people were saved. These data support the hypothesis that body odors induce participants to perceive the individuals described in moral dilemmas as more real, triggering harm avoidance.
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11
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When to collect resting-state data: The influence of odor on post-task resting-state connectivity. Neuroimage 2019; 191:361-366. [PMID: 30818023 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2019.02.050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/20/2018] [Revised: 02/18/2019] [Accepted: 02/19/2019] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
The human brain networks at rest represent spontaneous activity that is highly correlated between different brain regions. Previous studies have shown that these resting-state networks are flexible and dynamic, and they can be affected by performance of different types of tasks. Moreover, it has been suggested that the re-activation of a task-related brain network during rest promotes learning and improves the expertise on that task. However, it is still unclear whether the presence of different sensory information in the on-task state affects functional connectivity in subsequent resting-state fMRI even though the perception of the sensory information did not induce significant behavioral effects. To clarify this issue, we compared pre- and post-task resting-state fMRI of two groups of participants performing the same task either with an odor context (ODOR group) or without an odor context (AIR group). Seed-based functional connectivity analyses were performed with orbitofrontal cortex, piriform cortex and working-memory core network as seeds. The results showed that an odor context presented during an encoding task induced significant changes in the functional connectivity only within the olfactory network of the post-task resting-state compared to the same post-task situation without previous odor context. No significant difference in functional connectivity were found for the working-memory core network. This evidence emphasizes how the sensory context, in which a task is performed, is relevant for understanding the observed changes of functional connectivity during rest.
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Ohla K, Höchenberger R, Freiherr J, Lundström JN. Superadditive and Subadditive Neural Processing of Dynamic Auditory-Visual Objects in the Presence of Congruent Odors. Chem Senses 2019; 43:35-44. [PMID: 29045615 DOI: 10.1093/chemse/bjx068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Our sensory experiences comprise a variety of different inputs at any given time. Some of these experiences are unmistakable, others are ambiguous and profit from additional sensory information. Here, we explored whether the presence of a congruent odor influences the neural processing and sensory interaction of audio-visual objects using degraded videos (V) and sounds (A) of dynamic objects in unimodal and bimodal (AV) combinations without or with a congruent odor (VO, AO, AVO). Analyses of EEG data revealed superadditive and subadditive interaction effects. The topography and timing of these effects suggest evaluative rather than sensory processes as the underlying cause. Together, the results suggest that the mere presence of an odor affects the processing of A, V, and AV objects differently while multisensory interactions of AV and AVO objects have common neuronal mechanisms pointing to a robust, modality-independent network for the processing of redundant sensory information.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathrin Ohla
- German Institute of Human Nutrition Potsdam-Rehbruecke, Germany
- Monell Chemical Senses Center, USA
| | | | - Jessica Freiherr
- Uniklinik RWTH Aachen, Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Germany
- Fraunhofer-Institut für Verfahrenstechnik und Verpackung IVV, Sensory Analytics, Germany
| | - Johan N Lundström
- Monell Chemical Senses Center, USA
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Sweden
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13
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Hamakawa M, Okamoto T. The effect of different emotional states on olfactory perception: A preliminary study. FLAVOUR FRAG J 2018. [DOI: 10.1002/ffj.3469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Masayuki Hamakawa
- Graduate School of Systems Life Sciences; Kyushu University; Fukuoka Japan
- Research Fellow of Japan Society for the Promotion of Science; Tokyo Japan
| | - Tsuyoshi Okamoto
- Graduate School of Systems Life Sciences; Kyushu University; Fukuoka Japan
- Faculty of Arts and Science; Kyushu University; Fukuoka Japan
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Lundström JN, Regenbogen C, Ohla K, Seubert J. Prefrontal Control Over Occipital Responses to Crossmodal Overlap Varies Across the Congruency Spectrum. Cereb Cortex 2018; 29:3023-3033. [DOI: 10.1093/cercor/bhy168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2018] [Revised: 05/15/2018] [Accepted: 06/24/2018] [Indexed: 01/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Abstract
While matched crossmodal information is known to facilitate object recognition, it is unclear how our perceptual systems encode the more gradual congruency variations that occur in our natural environment. Combining visual objects with odor mixtures to create a gradual increase in semantic object overlap, we demonstrate high behavioral acuity to linear variations of olfactory–visual overlap in a healthy adult population. This effect was paralleled by a linear increase in cortical activation at the intersection of occipital fusiform and lingual gyri, indicating linear encoding of crossmodal semantic overlap in visual object recognition networks. Effective connectivity analyses revealed that this integration of olfactory and visual information was achieved by direct information exchange between olfactory and visual areas. In addition, a parallel pathway through the superior frontal gyrus was increasingly recruited towards the most ambiguous stimuli. These findings demonstrate that cortical structures involved in object formation are inherently crossmodal and encode sensory overlap in a linear manner. The results further demonstrate that prefrontal control of these processes is likely required for ambiguous stimulus combinations, a fact of high ecological relevance that may be inappropriately captured by common task designs juxtaposing congruency and incongruency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johan N Lundström
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Monell Chemical Senses Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Christina Regenbogen
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Medical School, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
- JARA–BRAIN Institute 1: Structure–Function Relationship: Decoding the Human Brain at Systemic Levels, Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - Kathrin Ohla
- Monell Chemical Senses Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Cognitive Neuroscience, Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-3), Research Center Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - Janina Seubert
- Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
- Monell Chemical Senses Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- Aging Research Center, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institutet and Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
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15
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Onuma T, Sakai N. Fabric Softener Fragrances Modulate the Impression Toward Female Faces and Frontal Brain Activity. JAPANESE PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/jpr.12203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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16
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Cook S, Kokmotou K, Soto V, Wright H, Fallon N, Thomas A, Giesbrecht T, Field M, Stancak A. Simultaneous odour-face presentation strengthens hedonic evaluations and event-related potential responses influenced by unpleasant odour. Neurosci Lett 2018; 672:22-27. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2018.02.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2018] [Revised: 02/14/2018] [Accepted: 02/15/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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17
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Damjanovic L, Wilkinson H, Lloyd J. Sweet Emotion: The Role of Odor-induced Context in the Search Advantage for Happy Facial Expressions. Chem Senses 2017; 43:139-150. [DOI: 10.1093/chemse/bjx081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Ljubica Damjanovic
- School of Natural Sciences and Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University, UK
| | | | - Julie Lloyd
- Department of Psychology, University of Chester, Chester, UK
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18
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Cook S, Kokmotou K, Soto V, Fallon N, Tyson-Carr J, Thomas A, Giesbrecht T, Field M, Stancak A. Pleasant and unpleasant odour-face combinations influence face and odour perception: An event-related potential study. Behav Brain Res 2017; 333:304-313. [DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2017.07.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2017] [Revised: 07/05/2017] [Accepted: 07/09/2017] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
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19
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Cecchetto C, Rumiati RI, Parma V. Relative Contribution of Odour Intensity and Valence to Moral Decisions. Perception 2017; 46:447-474. [PMID: 28084905 DOI: 10.1177/0301006616689279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Meta-analytic evidence showed that the chemical senses affect moral decisions. However, how odours impact on morality is currently unclear. Through a set of three studies, we assess whether and how odour intensity biases moral choices (Study 1a), its psychophysiological responses (Study 1b), as well as the behavioural and psychophysiological effects of odour valence on moral choices (Study 2). Study 1a suggests that the presence of an odour plays a role in shaping moral choice. Study 1b reveals that of two iso-pleasant versions of the same neutral odour, only the one presented sub-threshold (vs. supra-threshold) favours deontological moral choices, those based on the principle of not harming others even when such harm provides benefits. As expected, this odour intensity effect is tracked by skin conductance responses, whereas no difference in cardiac activity - proxy for the valence dimension - is revealed. Study 2 suggests that the same neutral odour presented sub-threshold increases deontological choices even when compared to iso-intense ambiguous odour, perceived as pleasant or unpleasant by half of the participants, respectively. Skin conductance responses, as expected, track odour pleasantness, but cardiac activity fails to do so. Results are discussed in the context of mechanisms alternative to disgust induction underlying moral choices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cinzia Cecchetto
- SISSA - International School for Advanced Studies, Trieste, Italy
| | - Raffaella Ida Rumiati
- SISSA - International School for Advanced Studies, Trieste, Italy; ANVUR - Agenzia Nazionale della Valutazione del sistema Universitario e della Ricerca, Roma, Italy
| | - Valentina Parma
- SISSA - International School for Advanced Studies, Trieste, Italy; Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden; Center for Autism Research, Philadelphia, PA, USA
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20
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Cavazzana A, Wesarg C, Parish-Morris J, Lundström JN, Parma V. When preschoolers follow their eyes and older children follow their noses: visuo-olfactory social affective matching in childhood. Dev Sci 2016; 21. [PMID: 27859959 DOI: 10.1111/desc.12507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2016] [Accepted: 08/18/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Recognition of emotional facial expressions is a crucial skill for adaptive behavior that most often occurs in a multi-sensory context. Affective matching tasks have been used across development to investigate how people integrate facial information with other senses. Given the relative affective strength of olfaction and its relevance in mediating social information since birth, we assessed olfactory-visual matching abilities in a group of 140 children between the ages of 3 and 11 years old. We presented one of three odor primes (rose, fish and no-odor, rated as pleasant or unpleasant by individual children) before a facial choice task (happy vs. disgusted face). Children were instructed to select one of two faces. As expected, children of all ages tended to choose happy faces. Children younger than 5 years of age were biased towards choosing the happy face, irrespective of the odor smelled. After age 5, an affective matching strategy guided children's choices. Smelling a pleasant odor predicted the choice of happy faces, whereas smelling the unpleasant or fish odor predicted the choice of disgusted faces. The present study fills a gap in the developmental literature on olfactory-visual affective strategies that affect decision-making, and represents an important step towards understanding the underlying developmental processes that shape the typical social mind.
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Affiliation(s)
- Annachiara Cavazzana
- Monell Chemical Senses Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA.,Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | | | - Julia Parish-Morris
- Center for Autism Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Johan N Lundström
- Monell Chemical Senses Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA.,Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.,Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Valentina Parma
- Monell Chemical Senses Center, Philadelphia, PA, USA.,Center for Autism Research, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA.,Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden.,SISSA, Neuroscience Area, Trieste, Italy
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21
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Bayesian-based integration of multisensory naturalistic perithreshold stimuli. Neuropsychologia 2016; 88:123-130. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2015.12.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2015] [Revised: 10/13/2015] [Accepted: 12/14/2015] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
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22
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Cook S, Fallon N, Wright H, Thomas A, Giesbrecht T, Field M, Stancak A. Pleasant and Unpleasant Odors Influence Hedonic Evaluations of Human Faces: An Event-Related Potential Study. Front Hum Neurosci 2015; 9:661. [PMID: 26733843 PMCID: PMC4681274 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2015.00661] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2015] [Accepted: 11/19/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Odors can alter hedonic evaluations of human faces, but the neural mechanisms of such effects are poorly understood. The present study aimed to analyze the neural underpinning of odor-induced changes in evaluations of human faces in an odor-priming paradigm, using event-related potentials (ERPs). Healthy, young participants (N = 20) rated neutral faces presented after a 3 s pulse of a pleasant odor (jasmine), unpleasant odor (methylmercaptan), or no-odor control (clean air). Neutral faces presented in the pleasant odor condition were rated more pleasant than the same faces presented in the no-odor control condition, which in turn were rated more pleasant than faces in the unpleasant odor condition. Analysis of face-related potentials revealed four clusters of electrodes significantly affected by odor condition at specific time points during long-latency epochs (600-950 ms). In the 620-640 ms interval, two scalp-time clusters showed greater negative potential in the right parietal electrodes in response to faces in the pleasant odor condition, compared to those in the no-odor and unpleasant odor conditions. At 926 ms, face-related potentials showed greater positivity in response to faces in the pleasant and unpleasant odor conditions at the left and right lateral frontal-temporal electrodes, respectively. Our data shows that odor-induced shifts in evaluations of faces were associated with amplitude changes in the late (>600) and ultra-late (>900 ms) latency epochs. The observed amplitude changes during the ultra-late epoch are consistent with a left/right hemisphere bias towards pleasant/unpleasant odor effects. Odors alter evaluations of human faces, even when there is a temporal lag between presentation of odors and faces. Our results provide an initial understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying effects of odors on hedonic evaluations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie Cook
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of LiverpoolLiverpool, UK
| | - Nicholas Fallon
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of LiverpoolLiverpool, UK
| | - Hazel Wright
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of LiverpoolLiverpool, UK
| | - Anna Thomas
- Department of Research and Development, UnileverPort Sunlight, UK
| | - Timo Giesbrecht
- Department of Research and Development, UnileverVlaardingen, Netherlands
| | - Matt Field
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of LiverpoolLiverpool, UK
| | - Andrej Stancak
- Department of Psychological Sciences, University of LiverpoolLiverpool, UK
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23
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Novak LR, Gitelman DR, Schuyler B, Li W. Olfactory-visual integration facilitates perception of subthreshold negative emotion. Neuropsychologia 2015; 77:288-97. [PMID: 26359718 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2015.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2015] [Revised: 08/01/2015] [Accepted: 09/04/2015] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
A fast growing literature of multisensory emotion integration notwithstanding, the chemical senses, intimately associated with emotion, have been largely overlooked. Moreover, an ecologically highly relevant principle of "inverse effectiveness", rendering maximal integration efficacy with impoverished sensory input, remains to be assessed in emotion integration. Presenting minute, subthreshold negative (vs. neutral) cues in faces and odors, we demonstrated olfactory-visual emotion integration in improved emotion detection (especially among individuals with weaker perception of unimodal negative cues) and response enhancement in the amygdala. Moreover, while perceptual gain for visual negative emotion involved the posterior superior temporal sulcus/pSTS, perceptual gain for olfactory negative emotion engaged both the associative olfactory (orbitofrontal) cortex and amygdala. Dynamic causal modeling (DCM) analysis of fMRI timeseries further revealed connectivity strengthening among these areas during crossmodal emotion integration. That multisensory (but not low-level unisensory) areas exhibited both enhanced response and region-to-region coupling favors a top-down (vs. bottom-up) account for olfactory-visual emotion integration. Current findings thus confirm the involvement of multisensory convergence areas, while highlighting unique characteristics of olfaction-related integration. Furthermore, successful crossmodal binding of subthreshold aversive cues not only supports the principle of "inverse effectiveness" in emotion integration but also accentuates the automatic, unconscious quality of crossmodal emotion synthesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas R Novak
- Department of Psychology, Florida State University, 1107 W. Call St., Tallahassee, FL 32304, USA.
| | - Darren R Gitelman
- Department of Neurology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, USA
| | - Brianna Schuyler
- Waisman Center for Brain Imaging and Behavior, University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA
| | - Wen Li
- Department of Psychology, Florida State University, 1107 W. Call St., Tallahassee, FL 32304, USA.
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24
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Parma V, Ferraro S, Miller SS, Åhs F, Lundström JN. Enhancement of Odor Sensitivity Following Repeated Odor and Visual Fear Conditioning. Chem Senses 2015; 40:497-506. [DOI: 10.1093/chemse/bjv033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
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