Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Olfactory Receptors: Location and Structure

Olfactory Receptors: Location and Structure

The process of olfaction, also known as the sense of smell, is a sophisticated chemical response system. The specialized sensory neurons that facilitate this process, known as olfactory receptor neurons, are situated in an upper segment of the nasal cavity, known as the olfactory epithelium. Olfactory sensory neurons are bipolar, with their dendrites extending from the epithelium's apex into the mucus that lines the nasal cavity. Airborne molecules, when inhaled, traverse the olfactory...

Olfaction

Olfaction

The sense of smell is achieved through the activities of the olfactory system. It starts when an airborne odorant enters the nasal cavity and reaches olfactory epithelium (OE). The OE is protected by a thin layer of mucus, which also serves the purpose of dissolving more complex compounds into simpler chemical odorants. The size of the OE and the density of sensory neurons varies among species; in humans, the OE is only about 9-10 cm2.
The olfactory receptors are embedded in the cilia of the...

Toxidromes: Clinical Features

Toxidromes: Clinical Features

Toxidromes are specific patterns of symptoms resulting from toxic substance exposure. They help in the identification and treatment of poisoning. The symptoms of each toxidrome group indicate poisoning by a certain class of chemicals or drugs.1. Sympathomimetic: Stimulates the sympathetic nervous system. Symptoms include agitation, increased heart rate (HR), blood pressure (BP), respiratory rate (RR), temperature, and pupil size. Drugs like cocaine and amphetamines, along with tremors and...

Factors Affecting Perception

Factors Affecting Perception

Perception is influenced by perceptual set, context, motivation, and emotion. Perceptual set, or perceptual expectancy, refers to the tendency to perceive things in a particular way, influenced by previous experiences and expectations. This phenomenon affects the interpretation of stimuli, creating a set of mental tendencies and assumptions that impact sensory perceptions of sound, taste, touch, and sight.
An illustrative example of a perceptual set is the scenario where an airline pilot told...

Synesthesia

Synesthesia

Synesthesia is a remarkable condition where stimulation of one sensory or cognitive pathway leads to automatic, involuntary experiences in a second sensory or cognitive pathway. People with synesthesia experience a blending or crossing of their senses, such as sight and sound, leading to cross-modal sensations. In this condition, the stimulation of one sense, such as hearing a number or musical note, triggers an experience of another sense, like sensing a specific color, taste, or smell. People...

Autoxidation of Ethers to Peroxides and Hydroperoxides

Autoxidation of Ethers to Peroxides and Hydroperoxides

Ethers represent a class of chemical compounds that become more dangerous with prolonged storage because they tend to form explosive peroxides when standing in the air. Autoxidation is the spontaneous oxidation of a compound in air. In the presence of oxygen, ethers slowly oxidize to form hydroperoxides and dialkyl peroxides.

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by

Same author

Neural correlates of distress and comfort in individuals with avoidant, anxious and secure attachment style: an fMRI study.

Attachment & human development·2024

Same author

Safety and feasibility of percutaneous needle tunneling with platelet-rich plasma injections for Peyronie's disease in the outpatient setting: a pilot study.

International journal of impotence research·2023

Same author

A qualitative study of the perceptions and experiences of healthcare providers caring for critically ill patients during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic: A PsyCOVID-ICU substudy.

PloS one·2022

Same author

Beneficial effects of prolonged 2-phenylethyl alcohol inhalation on chronic distress-induced anxio-depressive-like phenotype in female mice.

Biomedicine & pharmacotherapy = Biomedecine & pharmacotherapie·2022

Same author

Attachment-based parent-adolescent interaction linked to visual attention and autonomic arousal to distress and comfort stimuli.

BMC psychology·2022

Same author

Specific Pathways From Adverse Experiences to BPD in Adolescence: A Criteria-Based Approach of Trauma.

Journal of personality disorders·2021

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 14, 2026

A Free-breathing fMRI Method to Study Human Olfactory Function

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.

Psychiatry Research

|April 10, 2010

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

People with alexithymia (difficulty identifying emotions) may perceive smells as more intense and pleasant. This suggests a potential lack of inhibitory control affecting sensory perception in alexithymia.

More Related Videos

Combining a Breath-Synchronized Olfactometer with Brain Simulation to Study the Impact of Odors on Corticospinal Excitability and Effective Connectivity

Combining a Breath-Synchronized Olfactometer with Brain Simulation to Study the Impact of Odors on Corticospinal Excitability and Effective Connectivity

Published on: January 19, 2024

An Olfactory Preference Test for Measuring Olfactory Hedonic Biases in Mouse Models of Depression

An Olfactory Preference Test for Measuring Olfactory Hedonic Biases in Mouse Models of Depression

Published on: July 11, 2025

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 14, 2026

A Free-breathing fMRI Method to Study Human Olfactory Function

A Free-breathing fMRI Method to Study Human Olfactory Function

Published on: July 30, 2017

Combining a Breath-Synchronized Olfactometer with Brain Simulation to Study the Impact of Odors on Corticospinal Excitability and Effective Connectivity

Combining a Breath-Synchronized Olfactometer with Brain Simulation to Study the Impact of Odors on Corticospinal Excitability and Effective Connectivity

Published on: January 19, 2024

An Olfactory Preference Test for Measuring Olfactory Hedonic Biases in Mouse Models of Depression

An Olfactory Preference Test for Measuring Olfactory Hedonic Biases in Mouse Models of Depression

Published on: July 11, 2025

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Psychology
Sensory Perception

Background:

Alexithymia involves difficulty identifying emotions and emotional states.
Previous research noted sensory perception differences in alexithymia for visual/auditory stimuli.
Olfactory perception and its emotional links are established, but unstudied in alexithymia.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate olfactory sensitivity in individuals with alexithymia.
To compare self-ratings of odorant intensity and pleasantness across groups.
To explore potential links between alexithymia and olfactory processing.

Main Methods:

Utilized standard psychophysical methods for olfactory assessment.
Included participants with alexithymia, non-alexithymic patients, and control subjects.
Evaluated olfactory sensitivity, intensity, and hedonic valence ratings for various odorants.

Main Results:

Alexithymic individuals showed heightened self-ratings for odorant intensity.
Alexithymics also reported greater pleasantness (hedonic valence) of odorants.
These findings were significant compared to non-alexithymic and control groups.

Conclusions:

Alexithymia may be associated with an over-evaluation of olfactory stimuli.
This could stem from a broader deficit in inhibitory control mechanisms.
Further research is needed to understand the neural underpinnings of altered sensory processing in alexithymia.