Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 16, 2026
14:34
How to Create and Use Binocular Rivalry
Published on: November 10, 2010
Nostril-specific olfactory modulation of visual perception in binocular rivalry
Wen Zhou1, Xiaomeng Zhang, Jennifer Chen
1Key Laboratory of Mental Health, Institute of Psychology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China. zhouw@psych.ac.cn
Summary
Smelling an odor enhances visual perception, with effects lateralized by nostril. This research shows olfactory and visual inputs converge early in sensory processing, influencing object identity representation.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Sensory Perception
- Cognitive Science
Background:
- Olfaction and vision often work together to identify objects.
- The specific stage of sensory processing where these inputs converge remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the convergence stage of olfactory and visual sensory inputs.
- To examine how olfactory stimuli influence visual perception using binocular rivalry.
Main Methods:
- Utilized binocular rivalry, a visual phenomenon, to study sensory convergence.
- Administered odors to specific nostrils and observed effects on visual image dominance.
- Investigated category-selective regions and semantic congruency effects.
Main Results:
- Odor stimulation from one nostril enhanced the dominance of congruent visual images in the contralateral visual field.
- This lateralized enhancement extended to category-selective brain regions.
- Smelling body odor from the right nostril increased the dominance of body images more than from the left.
Conclusions:
- Olfactory and visual inputs converge early in sensory processing for object representation.
- The functional dissociation between nostrils plays a role in sensory integration.
- Provides evidence for object-based, early convergence of olfactory and visual information.
Related Concept Videos
01:20Physiology 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...
The olfactory...
01:03Olfactory 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...
01:25Olfaction
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...
The olfactory receptors are embedded in the cilia of the...
01:20Anatomy of the Eyeball
The eye is a spherical, hollow structure composed of three tissue layers. The outer layer — the fibrous tunic, comprises the sclera — a white structure — and the cornea, which is transparent. The sclera encompasses some of the ocular surface, most of which is not visible. However, the 'white of the eye' is distinctively visible in humans compared to other species. The cornea, a clear covering at the front of the eye, enables light penetration. The eye's middle layer, the vascular tunic,...
01:24Vision
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.
01:26Visual System
Light enters the eye through the cornea, a transparent, dome-shaped surface covering the surface of the eyeball that helps to direct and focus incoming light. This light is then channeled toward the pupil, an adjustable opening whose size is controlled by the iris. The iris, a pigmented muscle, regulates the amount of light entering the eye by contracting or dilating the pupil, thereby ensuring optimal light levels for clear vision.
Once through the pupil, the light passes through the lens, a...
Once through the pupil, the light passes through the lens, a...