Perceptual Blending in Odor Mixtures Depends on the Nature of Odorants and Human Olfactory Expertise
Perceptual Blending in Odor Mixtures Depends on the Nature of Odorants and Human Olfactory Expertise
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DOI：
10.1093/chemse/bjr086
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发表时间：
2012-02-01
期刊：
影响因子：
3.5
通讯作者：
Thomas-Danguin, T.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Barkat, S.;Le Berre, E.;Thomas-Danguin, T.
我们的嗅觉系统面临着复杂的气味混合物，由于气味混合，通常被认为是单一实体（例如，咖啡）。相比之下，我们还能够从复杂的混合物中区分气味（例如，异味）。因此，嗅觉系统在面对混合物时能够参与嗅觉或元素过程。然而，在气味感知过程中，这些过程的参与规则仍然知之甚少。在我们的第一个实验中，我们研究了简单的气味混合物（二元/三元）是否能引起视觉感知。20名未经训练的受试者被要求评价混合物及其成分的气味典型性。结果显示，在一些，但不是所有的混合物中的气味典型性的显着增加相比，单一的组件，这表明，知觉气味混合只能发生在特定的混合物（神经加工）。在我们的第二个实验中，我们测试的假设，一般嗅觉专业知识可以提高混合物的元素感知。32名受过训练的受试者评价了第一次实验中呈现的刺激物的气味典型性，并将他们的反应与未经训练的小组成员的反应进行了比较。结果支持的想法，一般的培训与气味增加的二元和三元共混混合物的元素感知。
Our olfactory system is confronted with complex mixtures of odorants, often recognized as single entities due to odor blending (e.g., coffee). In contrast, we are also able to discriminate odors from complex mixtures (e.g., off-odors). Therefore, the olfactory system is able to engage either configural or elemental processes when confronted with mixtures. However, the rules that govern the involvement of these processes during odor perception remain poorly understood. In our first experiment, we examined whether simple odorant mixtures (binary/ternary) could elicit configural perception. Twenty untrained subjects were asked to evaluate the odor typicality of mixtures and their constituents. The results revealed a significant increase in odor typicality in some but not all mixtures as compared with the single components, which suggest that perceptual odor blending can occur only in specific mixtures (configural processing). In our second experiment, we tested the hypothesis that general olfactory expertise can improve elemental perception of mixtures. Thirty-two trained subjects evaluated the odor typicality of the stimuli presented during the first experiment, and their responses were compared with those obtained from the untrained panelists. The results support the idea that general training with odors increases the elemental perception of binary and ternary blending mixtures.