Search results for "Odor discrimination"
showing 3 items of 3 documents
Longitudinal changes in odor identification performance and neuropsychological measures in aging individuals.
2015
To examine changes in odor identification performance and cognitive measures in healthy aging individuals. While cross-sectional studies reveal associations between odor identification and measures of episodic memory, processing speed, and executive function, longitudinal studies so far have been ambiguous with regard to demonstrating that odor identification may be predictive of decline in cognitive function.One hundred and 7 healthy aging individuals (average age 60.2 years, 71% women) were assessed with an odor identification test and nonolfactory cognitive measures of verbal episodic memory, mental processing speed, executive function, and language 3 times, covering a period of 6.5 year…
An increase in neural stem cells and olfactory bulb adult neurogenesis improves discrimination of highly similar odorants
2019
Adult neurogenesis is involved in cognitive performance but studies that manipulated this process to improve brain function are scarce. Here, we characterized a genetic mouse model in which neural stem cells (NSC) of the subventricular zone (SVZ) were temporarily expanded by conditional expression of the cell cycle regulators Cdk4/cyclinD1, thus increasing neurogenesis. We found that supernumerary neurons matured and integrated in the olfactory bulb similarly to physiologically generated newborn neurons displaying a correct expression of molecular markers, morphology and electrophysiological activity. Olfactory performance upon increased neurogenesis was unchanged when mice were tested on r…
Infants and Children Making Sense of Scents
2017
This chapter summarizes research on the development of human olfactory skills to rely on different cues conveyed by odorants, such as odor quality, intensity, position in space, novelty/familiarity, and hedonic value. The sensory, neural, and psychological dimensions at the root of these early aptitudes remain poorly explored in humans, but one can safely affirm that any weak odor to which the infant has previously been nonadversely exposed will have a higher reinforcing value than any novel odor. Developmental differences in odor discrimination and appreciation are certainly causally multiple and may depend on general or olfaction-specific cognitive factors which can be traced back to pren…