The Presentation of Olfactory-Trigeminal Mixed Stimuli Increases the Response to Subsequent Olfactory Stimuli

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of (1) the addition of trigeminal stimuli to an olfactory stimulus and (2) the congruence in the odorous mixture after repeated odor presentation. Twenty-five normosmic volunteers were enrolled and presented stimulation blocks, consisting of three habituation stimuli (H) (orange odor), one dishabituation (DH) (control condition, orange odor; congruent condition, orange odor + CO₂; incongruent condition, orange odor + l-isopulegol), and one dishabituated stimulus (D) (orange odor). Olfactory event-related potentials were analyzed. Response amplitudes differed significantly in the incongruent condition (N1P2 between H3 and D; peak to peak N1P2 at electrode positions Cz, Fz, and Pz; response amplitudes between H3 and DH). The addition of CO₂ modified the perception of orange odor, pronouncing a fruity note, whereas the addition of l-isopulegol as a DH pronounced the l-isopulegol note. This study provides evidence that incongruent trigeminal-olfactory stimulants increase the response to subsequent olfactory stimulus.