Age-Related Change in the Time Course of Perceived Odor Intensity
Age-Related Change in the Time Course of Perceived Odor Intensity
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DOI：
10.1007/s12078-015-9200-0
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发表时间：
2016-04
影响因子：
1
通讯作者：
Tomoko Matsubasa;N. Gotow;Y. Gomi;T. Kobayakawa
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Tomoko Matsubasa;N. Gotow;Y. Gomi;T. Kobayakawa
BackgroundOlfactory function generally decreases with age. However, the ability of elderly people to sense a continuously presented odor, such as a gas leak, remains poorly characterized. In this study, we sought to determine whether the time course of perceived odor intensity differs among young, middle-aged, and older adults who had equivalent olfactory identification ability as young and middle-aged adults.MethodsThree odorants were used: ethyl isobutyrate (EI), tertiary-butylmercaptan (TBM), and cyclohexene (CH). Participants evaluated perceived odor intensity for 600 s. Odors were presented at a constant concentration for 480 s; pure air also flowed for 20 s before and 100 s after odor presentation. Participants did not know the timing of the switches between odor and pure air or the duration of odor presentation.ResultsDifferences in the time course of perceived intensity among groups were not observed during the air presentation period before odor presentation or the odor presentation period. On the other hand, during the air presentation period after ~60 s had elapsed after the end of odor presentation, only older adults, but not young and middle-aged adults, perceived an increase in the intensity of EI and TBM.ConclusionWe concluded that this phenomenon might represent an elderly-specific sensory and/or psychological property that is revealed after exposure to a continuously presented odor.
