Neural Processing of Odors with Different Well-Being Associations—Findings from Two Consecutive Neuroimaging Studies
Much is known about the effect of odors on mood, cognition and behavior, but little is known about the relationship between odors and well-being. We investigated the neural processing of odors with different degrees of association with well-being (WB) through two large independent datasets. The stud...
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MDPI AG
2023-03-01
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/13/4/576 |
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| author | Akshita Joshi Henriette Hornstein Divesh Thaploo Vanda Faria Jonathan Warr Thomas Hummel |
| author_facet | Akshita Joshi Henriette Hornstein Divesh Thaploo Vanda Faria Jonathan Warr Thomas Hummel |
| author_sort | Akshita Joshi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Much is known about the effect of odors on mood, cognition and behavior, but little is known about the relationship between odors and well-being. We investigated the neural processing of odors with different degrees of association with well-being (WB) through two large independent datasets. The study encompassed pre-testing and fMRI. During pre-testing, 100 and 80 (studies 1 and 2) young, healthy subjects participated, rating intensity, valence, and WB association for 14 (study 1) and 8 (study 2) different odors. Pre-testing resulted in the selection of two odors with high WB association (WB-associated) and two odors with lower WB association (neutral odors) for each study. Odors were delivered intranasally to the subjects who underwent fMRI scanning (44 and 41 subjects, respectively, for studies 1 and 2). We assessed brain activity for subjects when they experienced WB-associated versus neutral odors. In study 1, WB-associated odors showed increased activation in the right angular gyrus whereas in study 2, increased activity in the left angular gyrus existed, together with increased activity in the anterior cingulate cortex and posterior orbitofrontal cortex. The increased activity of higher-order cognitive and emotional regions during the processing of WB-associated odors in the two independent studies suggests a role of odors in influencing individual well-being. Moreover, the consistent activation of the angular gyrus might suggest its key role in shifting attention toward relevant emotional stimuli. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T05:12:09Z |
| format | Article |
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| issn | 2076-3425 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T05:12:09Z |
| publishDate | 2023-03-01 |
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| record_format | Article |
| series | Brain Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-924dd83e16ef42ff878680b59e033c322023-11-17T18:32:09ZengMDPI AGBrain Sciences2076-34252023-03-0113457610.3390/brainsci13040576Neural Processing of Odors with Different Well-Being Associations—Findings from Two Consecutive Neuroimaging StudiesAkshita Joshi0Henriette Hornstein1Divesh Thaploo2Vanda Faria3Jonathan Warr4Thomas Hummel5Smell & Taste Clinic, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstraße 74, 01307 Dresden, GermanySmell & Taste Clinic, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstraße 74, 01307 Dresden, GermanySmell & Taste Clinic, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstraße 74, 01307 Dresden, GermanySmell & Taste Clinic, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstraße 74, 01307 Dresden, GermanyTakasago, 75017 Paris, FranceSmell & Taste Clinic, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Faculty of Medicine Carl Gustav Carus, Technische Universität Dresden, Fetscherstraße 74, 01307 Dresden, GermanyMuch is known about the effect of odors on mood, cognition and behavior, but little is known about the relationship between odors and well-being. We investigated the neural processing of odors with different degrees of association with well-being (WB) through two large independent datasets. The study encompassed pre-testing and fMRI. During pre-testing, 100 and 80 (studies 1 and 2) young, healthy subjects participated, rating intensity, valence, and WB association for 14 (study 1) and 8 (study 2) different odors. Pre-testing resulted in the selection of two odors with high WB association (WB-associated) and two odors with lower WB association (neutral odors) for each study. Odors were delivered intranasally to the subjects who underwent fMRI scanning (44 and 41 subjects, respectively, for studies 1 and 2). We assessed brain activity for subjects when they experienced WB-associated versus neutral odors. In study 1, WB-associated odors showed increased activation in the right angular gyrus whereas in study 2, increased activity in the left angular gyrus existed, together with increased activity in the anterior cingulate cortex and posterior orbitofrontal cortex. The increased activity of higher-order cognitive and emotional regions during the processing of WB-associated odors in the two independent studies suggests a role of odors in influencing individual well-being. Moreover, the consistent activation of the angular gyrus might suggest its key role in shifting attention toward relevant emotional stimuli.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/13/4/576well-beingolfactionfMRI |
| spellingShingle | Akshita Joshi Henriette Hornstein Divesh Thaploo Vanda Faria Jonathan Warr Thomas Hummel Neural Processing of Odors with Different Well-Being Associations—Findings from Two Consecutive Neuroimaging Studies Brain Sciences well-being olfaction fMRI |
| title | Neural Processing of Odors with Different Well-Being Associations—Findings from Two Consecutive Neuroimaging Studies |
| title_full | Neural Processing of Odors with Different Well-Being Associations—Findings from Two Consecutive Neuroimaging Studies |
| title_fullStr | Neural Processing of Odors with Different Well-Being Associations—Findings from Two Consecutive Neuroimaging Studies |
| title_full_unstemmed | Neural Processing of Odors with Different Well-Being Associations—Findings from Two Consecutive Neuroimaging Studies |
| title_short | Neural Processing of Odors with Different Well-Being Associations—Findings from Two Consecutive Neuroimaging Studies |
| title_sort | neural processing of odors with different well being associations findings from two consecutive neuroimaging studies |
| topic | well-being olfaction fMRI |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/13/4/576 |
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