title: A low-cost, MR-compatible olfactometer.
abstract: We present a design for an olfactometer, suitable for fMRI experiments, that can be constructed at extremely low cost. The olfactometer presents odors directly to the nose via a nasal cannula at unobtrusively low flow velocities, with no large assemblies required on or near the subject's face. The olfactometer can be controlled manually, or by computer via a serial interface. A validation study verified that the olfactometer reliably presents odors to test subjects. Errors and response latency times decreased with increased flow rate in an orderly manner, as expected.
authors.affiliation: McLean Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Belmont, Massachusetts, USA. lowen@mclean.harvard.edu
authors.forename: Steven B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Lowen
authors.forename: Scott E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Lukas
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000295:instrumentation*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009812:Odorants; D011930:Reaction Time; D012903:Smell