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olfaction

·September 20, 2012·2 min read

‘Psychopaths’ Have An Impaired Sense of Smell

People with psychopathic tendencies have an impaired sense of smell, which points to inefficient processing in the front part of the brain (orbitofrontal cortex) according to a new study.

This image shows the lead researcher, Jennifer Stamps

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·October 9, 2013·3 min read

‘Peanut Butter’ Test Can Help Diagnose Alzheimer’s Disease

Researchers use peanut butter as a new tool to diagnose early stage Alzheimer's disease.

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·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.

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·June 27, 2017·4 min read

A Mouse’s View of the World, As Seen Through Its Whiskers

Researchers have successfully recreated the whisker map a mouse creates of its surroundings to help it navigate the world, catch food and avoid predators.

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·July 23, 2018·4 min read

A New Connection Between Smell and Memory Identified

A new study reveals how smells we encounter throughout life are encoded in memory. The findings could help develop new smell tests for Alzheimer's disease.

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·October 5, 2022·5 min read

A Nose to Diagnose: Improving Parkinson’s Diagnosis

Researchers discovered personal odors can alter in people with Parkinson's disease. Based on this, they identified specific markers for Parkinson's in sebum, an oily substance secreted from the skin. They developed a new, non-invasive swab test that can identify Parkinson's with 95% accuracy.

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·January 17, 2023·5 min read

A Robot Able to “Smell” Using a Biological Sensor

A new biological sensor sends electrical information in response to the presence of an odor which the robot is able to detect and interpret.

$flowers$

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·May 1, 2018·5 min read

A Rose is a Rose is a Rose: Mathematical Model Explains How Different Brains Agree on Smells

A new computational model sheds light on the complexity of smell identification. Researchers report different brains know how to associate new similar odors, so long as they have experienced an overlap in odors over their lifetime.

This is a diagram of the human olfactory system

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·September 24, 2013·3 min read

A Shot of Anxiety and the World Stinks

A new neuroimaging study reveals how anxiety or stress can link areas of the brain for emotion and olfactory processing, making neutral odors smell malodorous.

The mushroom cells are highlighted in white and pink in these brain scans.

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·March 3, 2014·3 min read

A Sparse Memory Is a Precise Memory

Researchers discover a key to forming distinct associative memories lies in how information from the senses is encoded in the brain.

This shows a woman in a facemask holding a flower

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·April 10, 2022·6 min read

A Way to Prevent Loss of Smell and Taste From COVID-19

Camostat mesylate, an oral medication commonly prescribed to treat pancreatitis, reduces both the loss of smell and taste in those with COVID-19 infection.