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Updated: May 15, 2026
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Experience-Dependent Remodeling of Juvenile Brain Olfactory Sensory Neuron Synaptic Connectivity in an Early-Life Critical Period
Published on: March 1, 2024
Perfumers' expertise induces structural reorganization in olfactory brain regions
Chantal Delon-Martin1, Jane Plailly, Pierre Fonlupt
1INSERM U836, Institut des Neurosciences, Equipe Neuroimagerie et Perfusion Cérébrale, Grenoble F-38043, France. chantal.delon@ujf-grenoble.fr
Neuroimage
|December 19, 2012
Summary
Olfactory expertise, like that of perfumers, leads to structural brain changes. Extensive training increases gray matter in specific olfactory brain regions, demonstrating neuroplasticity.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Olfactory Perception
- Neuroplasticity
Background:
- The human brain adapts to environmental changes, particularly in sensory domains.
- Olfaction is an understudied sense regarding expert-driven brain modifications.
- Previous research linked olfactory expertise to functional brain changes.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if olfactory expertise is associated with structural brain changes.
- To compare gray-matter volume in perfumers and control subjects.
- To identify specific brain regions affected by olfactory training.
Main Methods:
- Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) was employed for gray-matter volume analysis.
- Student and professional perfumers were compared with untrained controls.
- Methodological improvements were incorporated to minimize image processing errors.
Main Results:
- Perfumers exhibited increased gray-matter volume in the bilateral gyrus rectus/medial orbital gyrus (GR/MOG).
- This region is an orbitofrontal area surrounding the olfactory sulcus.
- Gray-matter volume in the anterior putamen/caudate and left GR/MOG correlated positively with perfumer experience.
Conclusions:
- Extensive olfactory training induces structural reorganization in olfactory brain areas.
- Acquired olfactory knowledge is linked to measurable changes in brain structure.
- Neuroplasticity in olfactory regions is demonstrated through structural adaptations.
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