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Superordinate integrations of olfaction, taste and chemesthesis
Multiple Paper Presentation
Pamela Dalton
Monell Chemical Senses Center
Abstract ID Number: 57
Abstract
Flavor perception represents reflects an integrative process whereby activation in two peripherally-distinct, neural systems, olfaction and gustation, combine to give rise to a unitary oral sensation. Recent psychophysical studies have shown that (1) when a sub-threshold odor is paired with a sub-threshold taste, the odor threshold is decreased and (2) this enhancement appears to reflect a learned phenomenon which can occur after less than 2 weeks experience with a novel odor/taste pairing. We extended this technique to investigate olfactory/chemesthetic integration in the ocular and nasal mucosa and observed a similar pattern of results. While the simultaneous delivery of a supra-threshold nasal irritant elevated the ocular irritation threshold, the presentation of a sub-threshold nasal irritant (i.e., an odor) decreased the ocular threshold for irritation. Integration appears to enhance the detectability of weak chemosensory signals and may elicit novel sensations from the combination of sensory modalities receptive to chemical stimulation.
To be Presented at the Following Symposium:
The Multisensory Quartet - Smell, Taste, Chemesthesis, and Flavor.
Other papers in this Symposium:
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