Olfactory processing: detection of rapid changes.
Changes in the olfactory environment have a rather poor chance of being detected. Aim of the present study was to determine, whether the same (cued) or different (uncued) odors can generally be detected at short inter stimulus intervals (ISI) below 2.5 s. Furthermore we investigated, whether inhibition of return, an attentional phenomenon facilitating the detection of new stimuli at longer ISI, is present in the domain of olfaction. Thirteen normosmic people (3 men, 10 women; age range 19-27 years; mean age 23 years) participated. Stimulation was performed using air-dilution olfactometry with 2 odors: phenylethylalcohol and hydrogen disulfide. Reaction time to target stimuli was assessed in cued and uncued conditions at ISIs of 1, 1.5, 2, and 2.5 s. There was a significant main effect of ISI, indicating that odors presented only 1 s apart are missed frequently. Uncued presentation facilitated detection at short ISIs, implying that changes of the olfactory environment are detected better than presentation of the same odor again. Effects in relation to "olfactory inhibition of return," on the other hand, are not supported by our results. This suggests that attention works different for the olfactory system compared with the visual and auditory systems.
Smell & Taste Clinic, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, TU Dresden, Fetscherstr. 74, 01307 Dresden, Germany, Department of Psychosomatic Medicine, TU Dresden, Fetscherstr. 74, 01307 Dresden, Germany and.
Ilona
I
Croy
Smell & Taste Clinic, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, TU Dresden, Fetscherstr. 74, 01307 Dresden, Germany.
Franziska
F
Krone
School of Natural Sciences and Psychology, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool L3 3AF, UK.
Susannah
S
Walker
Smell & Taste Clinic, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, TU Dresden, Fetscherstr. 74, 01307 Dresden, Germany.
Thomas
T
Hummel
D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006862:Hydrogen Sulfide / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D009812:Odorants / Q000032:analysis*; D064367:Olfactometry; D010626:Phenylethyl Alcohol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012903:Smell / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology*; D013268:Stimulation, Chemical; D055815:Young Adult
D010626:Phenylethyl Alcohol; D006862:Hydrogen Sulfide
attention; olfaction; smell