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olfaction

·September 19, 2023·3 min read

How Flies Turn Memories into Upwind Food Hunts

Researchers revealed how the fruit fly brain transforms memories of past rewards into actionable behaviors, guiding the fly to food. A key brain region, the mushroom body, integrates olfactory information and assigns values to odors, but the link to motor actions was unclear.

Featured Neuroscience

·September 2, 2023·7 min read

AI Cracks the Code on Odor Perception

Researchers unravel the mysteries of smell using machine learning. Their AI model has achieved human-level skill in describing how certain chemicals will smell, closing a critical gap in the scientific understanding of olfaction.

This shows bottles full of flowers and herbs.

Featured Neuroscience

·August 8, 2023·6 min read

Why Do We Like Certain Scents?

Researchers delved into understanding why certain smells appeal to us and others don't by studying locusts. Through a series of experiments, they analyzed how locusts' brains reacted to various odors and the behavior exhibited in response.

Featured Neuroscience Neuroscience Videos

·August 6, 2023·3 min read

Probing Pathways of Perception: This Week’s Top 5 Advances from Neuroscience News, August 6, 2023

This week's top neuroscience news includes breakthroughs such as a promising Alzheimer's vaccine, the unveiling of a key inflammation pathway impacting aging, and the identification of sensory neurons in the colon.

This shows an older woman surrounded by flowers.

Featured Neurology Neuroscience

·August 1, 2023·5 min read

Scentful Slumbers: Enhancing Memory in Older Adults Through Nightly Aromatherapy

A new study demonstrates how nightly aromatherapy can enhance memory in older adults. Over six months, subjects were exposed to various natural oil fragrances for two hours each night, leading to a remarkable 226% increase in cognitive capacity.

Featured Genetics Neurology Neuroscience

·July 26, 2023·3 min read

Early Odor Detection Loss Linked to Alzheimer’s Gene Variant

Individuals carrying a gene variant associated with Alzheimer's disease, APOE e4, may experience early loss in their ability to detect odors, hinting at future cognitive challenges. The study employed an at-home survey to test over 865 people's sense of smell and cognitive skills at five-year intervals.

Featured Neuroscience

·July 17, 2023·6 min read

Super Sniffers: Scent Dogs Excel in COVID-19 Detection

New research suggests that scent dogs may provide a faster and more efficient way to detect COVID-19, even outperforming conventional RT-PCR tests. In studies involving over 31,000 samples, dogs were able to identify COVID-19 in symptomatic, pre-symptomatic, and asymptomatic individuals, as well as detect new variants and long COVID.

Featured Neuroscience

·July 5, 2023·3 min read

Human Hand Scents: A Novel Tool for Sex Prediction

A new study reveals that the composition of scent compounds on a person's hand can accurately determine their sex. The analysis, using mass spectrometry, successfully predicted an individual's sex with an impressive accuracy rate of 96.67%.

Featured Neuroscience

·June 30, 2023·7 min read

Sniffing Out the Secrets: The Science Behind Cats’ Superb Sense of Smell

Researchers have uncovered the intricate structure within a cat's nose that aids in their exceptional olfactory abilities. Through a 3D computer model and simulations, it was observed that inhaled air splits into two distinct streams within a cat's nose, aiding both respiratory and olfactory functions.

Featured Neuroscience Psychology

·June 26, 2023·6 min read

A Fading Sense of Smell: New Predictor of Late-Life Depression?

Researchers identified a correlation between loss of smell and an increased risk of developing late-life depression. The study, spanning eight years and involving more than 2,000 older adults, doesn't establish causality but suggests that an impaired sense of smell might indicate overall health and well-being.

This shows a woman surrounded by pink flowers.

Featured Neuroscience

·June 15, 2023·4 min read

Sniffing Out the Truth: Astrocytes Serotonin Processing Plays Essential Role in Olfactory Perception

Researchers shed light on the role of astrocytes, a type of brain cell, in olfactory perception or smell detection. The research reveals that during olfactory stimulation, serotonin transporter Slc22a3 in astrocytes mediates serotonin transport into the cells, influencing gene expression.

Featured Neuroscience Open Neuroscience Articles

·June 14, 2023·6 min read

Bumblebees Use Scent Marks to Navigate Home

Bumblebees utilize their highly sensitive sense of smell to locate their nests, particularly in conditions where visual cues are unreliable. In experiments, scent marks left by bumblebees at their nest entrance helped them return home when visual landmarks were altered.

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olfaction

How Flies Turn Memories into Upwind Food Hunts

AI Cracks the Code on Odor Perception

Why Do We Like Certain Scents?

Probing Pathways of Perception: This Week’s Top 5 Advances from Neuroscience News, August 6, 2023

Scentful Slumbers: Enhancing Memory in Older Adults Through Nightly Aromatherapy

Early Odor Detection Loss Linked to Alzheimer’s Gene Variant

Super Sniffers: Scent Dogs Excel in COVID-19 Detection

Human Hand Scents: A Novel Tool for Sex Prediction

Sniffing Out the Secrets: The Science Behind Cats’ Superb Sense of Smell

A Fading Sense of Smell: New Predictor of Late-Life Depression?

Sniffing Out the Truth: Astrocytes Serotonin Processing Plays Essential Role in Olfactory Perception

Bumblebees Use Scent Marks to Navigate Home

Amygdala’s Role in Epilepsy Sudden Death

Psilocybin Microdosing Promising for Mental Health Disorders

Age-Related Changes in Spoken Word Recognition

Personality Disorders Linked to Increased Risk of Fatty Liver Disease

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