title: Unilateral Resection of the Anterior Medial Temporal Lobe Impairs Odor Identification and Valence Perception.
abstract: The anterior medial temporal lobe (TL), including the amygdala, has been implicated in olfactory processing, e.g., coding for intensity and valence, and seems also involved in memory. With this background, the present study evaluated whether anterior medial TL-resections in TL epilepsy affected intensity and valence ratings, as well as free and cued identification of odors. These aspects of odor perception were assessed in 31 patients with unilateral anterior medial TL-resections (17 left, 14 right) and 16 healthy controls. Results suggest that the anterior medial TL is in particular necessary for free, but also cued, odor identification. TL resection was also found to impair odor valence, but not intensity ratings. Left resected patients rated nominally pleasant and unpleasant odors as more neutral suggesting a special role for the left anterior TL in coding for emotional saliency in response to odors.
authors.affiliation: Division of Psychology, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska InstitutetStockholm, Sweden; Unit of Work Environment Toxicology, Institute of Environmental Medicine, Karolinska InstitutetStockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Stephanie A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Juran
authors.affiliation: Division of Psychology, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska InstitutetStockholm, Sweden; Monell Chemical Senses CenterPhiladelphia, PA, USA; Department of Psychology, University of PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, PA, USA.
authors.forename: Johan N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Lundström
authors.affiliation: Mental Health Care, Stockholm County Council Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Geigant
authors.affiliation: Neurology, Department of Neuroscience, Uppsala University Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kumlien
authors.affiliation: Division of Psychology, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska InstitutetStockholm, Sweden; Department of Psychology, Uppsala UniversityUppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: Mats
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fredrikson
authors.affiliation: Division of Psychology, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska InstitutetStockholm, Sweden; Department of Psychology, Uppsala UniversityUppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: Fredrik
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Åhs
authors.affiliation: Division of Psychology, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet Stockholm, Sweden.
authors.forename: Mats J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Olsson
keywords: amygdalo-hippocampectomy; anterior medial temporal lobe; brain lateralization; odor valence; olfactory perception; temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE)