Unexplored neural circuit modulates memory strength: Fruit fly study
PPL2 neurons help modulate the strength of memories.... Read More...
olfaction
Coffee addicts really do wake up and smell the coffee
People who consume coffee regularly have enhanced sensitivity to odors associated with caffeine. Those who drink more than 4 cups a day can identify the smell of coffee faster, and at weaker concentrations than those who drink less daily. ... Read More...
Do you smell what I smell?
Small changes in a single olfactory receptor gene can affect how strong, or how pleasant, a person finds a particular odor.... Read More...
Poor sense of smell associated with nearly 50% higher risk for death in 10 years
Poor olfaction is correlated with higher long-term mortality in older adults, particularly in those with good health at baseline. Dementia, Parkinson's disease and weight loss may be possible drivers for the higher mortality rates, but around 70% of cases are unexplained. ... Read More...
Smelling with your tongue: Functional olfactory receptors in human taste center identified
Functional olfactory receptors have been identified in human taste cells. The findings suggest olfactory receptors play a role in the taste system by interacting with taste receptors on the tongue. The brain, researchers say, combines input from taste, smell and other senses to create a multi-modal sensation of flavor.... Read More...
Brain regions linked to memory and emotion help humans navigate smell
During navigation tasks using a 'smell scape', the entorhinal cortex and ventromedial prefrontal cortex elicit grid cell-like activity.... Read More...
Sniffing pleasant odors may decrease cigarette craving
Pleasant olfactory cues hold promise for helping to curb the urge to smoke in those who are quitting. Exposure to olfactory cues reduced symptoms of cravings, with effects lasting up to five minutes following exposure.... Read More...
New Insight on How the Nose Adapts to Smells
A new study sheds light on how our sense of smell is affected by the decrease of neurons in our noses as we age.... Read More...
Smell of Food Controls Cellular Recycling and Affects Life Expectancy
Researchers have identified the influence food odors have on proteostasis.... Read More...
Fighting the Craving for Fattening Foods? Just Surround Yourself In Its Scent
According to researchers, the ambient scent of foods can help to reduce cravings and satisfy the appetite.... Read More...
Genes on the Move Help Nose Make Sense of Scents
A new study sheds light on the ingenious mechanism that underlies the brain's ability to distinguish between different smells.... Read More...
Gut Hormone Increases Response to Food
Researchers discover activity in brain regions involved in reward response from dopamine was higher in subjects injected with the hormone ghrelin, but only when responding to images associated with food smells. The study reports ghrelin controls the extent to which the brain associates reward with food odors.... Read More...