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Chemical Senses 22: 77-81,
© 1997

research-article

Olfactory Evoked Potential Produced by Electrical Stimulation of the Human Olfactory Mucosa

Tadashi Ishimaru, Takefumi Shimada, Makoto Sakumoto1, Takaki Miwa, Yasuyuki Kimura2 and Mitsuru Furukawa

Department of Otorhinolaryngology, School of Medicine, Kanazawa University 13-1, Takara-machi, Kanazawa, 920 1Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Fukui-Ken Saiseikai Hospital Wadanaka-machi, Funabashi, 7-1, Fukui, 910 2Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Ishikawa Prefectural Central Hospital Nu-153, Minamishinbo-machi, Kanazawa, 920-02, Japan

Correspondence to be sent to: T. lshimaru, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, School of Medicine, Kanazawa University, 13-1, Takara-machi, kanazawa, 920, Japan

Most physiological studies of the human olfactory system have concentrated on the cortical level; the olfactory bulbar level has been studied rarely. We attempted to stimulate the human olfactory mucosa by electrical pulse to detect the bulbar potentials. Electrical stimulation (2 mA, 0.5 ms) of the human olfactory mucosa evoked a change in potential recorded from the frontal sector of the head. A negative peak of the evoked potential that occurred at 19.4 ms (grand means, n = 5) after stimulation was the clearest. The highest amplitude of the potential was recorded from the frontal sector of the head on the stimulated side. Our findings were similar to the experimental results obtained from the olfactory bulbs of animals. This evoked potential was considered to be the human olfactory bulbar potential. When the subjects were stimulated by applying electricity to the olfactory mucosa, no sensation of smell occurred even though evoked potentials were recorded. Evoked potentials were recorded only when the stimulating electrode was located in the olfactory cleft. When the stimulating electrode was outside the olfactory cleft, the stimulation caused pain. The trigeminal nerve seemed to be stimulated by electricity. Olfactory evoked potentials produced by the electrical stimulation of the human olfactory mucosa should aid the research on human olfactory physiology, and may be applicable to clinical tests of olfactory dysfunction. Chem. Senses 22: 77–81, 1997.


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T. Ishimaru, S. Hatanaka, T. Yata, I. Horikawa, T. Tsukatani, T. Nishimura, T. Miwa, and M. Furukawa
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