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Updated: Jun 14, 2026

A Free-breathing fMRI Method to Study Human Olfactory Function
Published on: July 30, 2017
Odor perception in alexithymic patients
Sandrine Lombion1, Blandine Bechetoille, Sylvie Nezelof
1Laboratoire de Neurosciences, 1 Place Leclerc - Université de Franche-Comté, 25030 Cedex, Besançon, France.
Abstract:
Alexithymia is characterized by a marked inability to identify feelings and emotional states and some studies have documented sensorial perception in response to visual or auditory cues in this disease. Although olfaction is well known for its emotional correlates, the perception of olfactory stimulations has not been previously investigated. This study compares with standard psychophysical methods the olfactory sensitivity and the self-ratings of intensity and hedonic valence of a panel of odorants in alexithymic patients, non-alexithymic patients and control subjects. Results show that alexithymics over-evaluate intensity and pleasantness of odorants compared to non-alexithymics or control subjects. This could be interpreted in the framework of a lack of inhibitory control including this particular sense.
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