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Related Concept Videos

Olfaction01:25

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...
Physiology of Smell and Olfactory Pathway01:20

Physiology of Smell and Olfactory Pathway

Humans detect odors with the help of specialized cells located in the upper part of the nasal cavity, called olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs). ORNs possess hair-like structures called cilia, which are receptive to sensations from the inhaled air. When an odorant molecule binds to a specific receptor on the cell of the cilia, it leads to a series of events that ultimately cause the ORN to send electrical signals to the olfactory bulb in the brain through the olfactory nerves.
The olfactory...
Motor and Sensory Areas of the Cortex01:14

Motor and Sensory Areas of the Cortex

The cerebral cortex, the brain's outermost layer, is pivotal in processing complex cognitive tasks, emotions, and various sensory inputs and executing voluntary motor activities. This intricate structure is divided into three primary functional areas: the motor areas, sensory areas, and association areas.
Motor Areas
The motor areas located in the frontal lobe are central to controlling voluntary movements. This region is further subdivided into the primary motor cortex and the premotor cortex.
Olfactory Receptors: Location and Structure01:03

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...
Vision01:24

Vision

Vision is the result of light being detected and transduced into neural signals by the retina of the eye. This information is then further analyzed and interpreted by the brain. First, light enters the front of the eye and is focused by the cornea and lens onto the retina—a thin sheet of neural tissue lining the back of the eye. Because of refraction through the convex lens of the eye, images are projected onto the retina upside-down and reversed.
Association Areas of the Cortex01:21

Association Areas of the Cortex

Association areas are regions of the cerebral cortex that do not have a specific sensory or motor function. Instead, they integrate and interpret information from various sources to enable higher cognitive processes such as memory, learning, and decision-making. Some key association areas include the following:
Prefrontal Association Area: This area is located in the frontal lobe and is involved in planning, decision-making, and moderating social behavior. It connects with primary motor areas,...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 24, 2026

Combining a Breath-Synchronized Olfactometer with Brain Simulation to Study the Impact of Odors on Corticospinal Excitability and Effective Connectivity
06:13

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

Modulation of olfactory perception by visual cortex stimulation.

Jahan B Jadauji1, Jelena Djordjevic, Johan N Lundström

  • 1Montreal Neurological Institute, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec H3A 2B4, Canada.

The Journal of Neuroscience : the Official Journal of the Society for Neuroscience
|March 2, 2012
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Visual cortex stimulation enhances smell identification. This study shows that activating visual processing areas improves the brain's ability to distinguish between different odors, demonstrating cross-sensory influences.

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Last Updated: May 24, 2026

Combining a Breath-Synchronized Olfactometer with Brain Simulation to Study the Impact of Odors on Corticospinal Excitability and Effective Connectivity
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Imaging Odor-Evoked Activities in the Mouse Olfactory Bulb using Optical Reflectance and Autofluorescence Signals
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Imaging Odor-Evoked Activities in the Mouse Olfactory Bulb using Optical Reflectance and Autofluorescence Signals

Published on: October 31, 2011

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Sensory Perception
  • Cognitive Science

Background:

  • Olfactory perception is often linked to visual imagery of odor sources.
  • Neuroimaging confirms visual cortex activation during olfactory tasks, suggesting a connection.
  • The exact nature of this visual-olfactory link (correlation vs. causation) remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate whether visual cortex activity causally influences olfactory perception.
  • To determine if stimulating the visual cortex can improve odor discrimination abilities.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) to modulate activity in the human visual cortex.
  • Assessed performance on olfactory tasks, including odor quality discrimination and intensity discrimination.
  • Included control conditions with auditory cortex stimulation and sham stimulation.

Main Results:

  • rTMS of the visual cortex significantly improved performance on odor quality discrimination tasks.
  • No significant improvements were observed for odor intensity discrimination.
  • Stimulation of the auditory cortex or sham stimulation did not enhance olfactory performance.

Conclusions:

  • Visual cortical processing specifically influences high-level olfactory perception, particularly odor quality identification.
  • This study provides evidence for a causal role of visual cortex in olfactory tasks.
  • Demonstrates that unimodal perceptual tasks can be modulated by activity in unrelated sensory cortical areas.