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Chemical Senses Advance Access published online on August 12, 2008
Chemical Senses, doi:10.1093/chemse/bjn042
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© The Author 2008. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org

Investigation of Breathing Parameters during Odor Perception and Olfactory Imagery

A.M. Kleemann1, R. Kopietz1, J. Albrecht1, V. Schöpf1, O. Pollatos1,2, T. Schreder1, J. May1, J. Linn1, H. Brückmann1 and M. Wiesmann1,3

1 Department of Neuroradiology 2 Department of Neurology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich, Marchioninistr. 15, D-81377 Munich, Germany 3 Department of Radiology and Neuroradiology, Helios Kliniken Schwerin, Wismarsche Str. 393-397, D-19049 Schwerin, Germany

Correspondence to be sent to: Anna Maria Kleemann, Department of Neuroradiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich, Marchionistr. 15, D-81377, Munich, Germany. e-mail: Anna_Maria.Kleemann{at}med.uni-muenchen.de


  Abstract

Compared with visual and auditory imagery, little is known about olfactory imagery. There is evidence that respiration may be altered by both olfactory perception and olfactory imagery. In order to investigate this relationship, breathing parameters (respiratory minute volume, respiratory amplitude, and breathing rate) in human subjects during olfactory perception and olfactory imagery were investigated. Fifty-six subjects having normal olfactory function were tested. Nasal respiration was measured using a respiratory pressure sensor. Using an experimental block design, we alternately presented odors or asked the subjects to imagine a given smell. Four different pleasant odors were used: banana, rose, coffee, and lemon odor. We detected a significant increase in respiratory minute volume between olfactory perception and the baseline condition as well as between olfactory imagery and baseline condition. Additionally we found significant differences in the respiratory amplitude between imagery and baseline condition and between odor and imagery condition. Differences in the breathing rate between olfactory perception, olfactory imagery, and baseline were not statistically significant. We conclude from our results that olfactory perception and olfactory imagery both have effects on the human respiratory profile and that these effects are based on a common underlying mechanism.

Key words: olfaction, olfactory imagery, respiration, sniffing


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