Electrophysiological Representations of Odor in the Human Brain Study 1
Northwestern University
Summary
Investigating representations of odor intensity in human piriform cortex. To identify a neural representation of perceived odor intensity, it is necessary to dissociate stimulus concentration from perceived intensity. Experiments for this aim will measure human perceptual responses while manipulating intensity independently from concentration using two complementary approaches. In Experiment 1A, we will match perceived intensities across odors of different concentrations, allowing us to identify a neural representation of intensity that is independent of stimulus identity and concentration. In Experiment 1B, we will create conditions of different perceived intensity over constant odor stimuli using adaptation. Approaching the same question from different angles will strengthen the robustness of our findings. Preliminary data suggest that temporal features of the piriform neural response may represent odor intensity.
Description
Olfactory perception relies on the brain's ability to extract and represent different features of an odor stimulus. For example, intensity and identity are fundamental features of the olfactory percept that must be encoded separately for accurate perception; the same odor can be encountered at different strengths. Understanding neural representations of olfactory perceptual features is fundamental to understanding the olfactory system, however the neural correlates of odor intensity and identity are poorly understood in the human brain. The field of olfaction typically uses chemistry as a pro…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 12–65 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- No
Inclusion Criteria: * Ages 12 to 65, english speaker, patients undergoing brain surgery for treatment of medically intractable epilepsy Exclusion Criteria: * screening for history of smell or taste problems
Interventions
- Behavioralodor
present odor
Location
- Northwestern UniversityChicago, Illinois