Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 25, 2025

A Free-breathing fMRI Method to Study Human Olfactory Function
Published on: July 30, 2017
Ambiguous "olfactory" terms for anatomic spaces adjacent to the cribriform plate: A publication database analysis and
Nicholas S Bates1, Tarik F Massoud1
1Division of Neuroimaging and Neurointervention, and Stanford Initiative for Multimodality Neuro-Imaging in Translational Anatomy Research (SIMITAR), Department of Radiology, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, California, USA.
Abstract:
A precise nomenclature and terminology is the foundation of communication in Anatomy and related biomedical sciences. The olfactory bulbs and nerves lie above and below the cribriform plate (CP), respectively. Hence, many anatomical landmarks in this region have names adopting the term "olfactory" as qualifiers. Ambiguous use of these "olfactory" terms exists, with some potential repercussions on patient treatments. We performed a publication database analysis to determine the frequency of misuse of names for seven anatomical "olfactory" spaces close to the CP and nasal cavity. We searched PubMed® publications having the keyword "olfactory" in their title or abstract, plus one of seven other keywords: "groove", "fossa", "recess", "cleft", "vestibule", "sulcus", and "cistern". We reviewed all abstracts for accuracy of these terms relative to accepted norms or customary definitions. By February 2020, we found all these keywords in 1255 articles. For the terms olfactory "groove" and "fossa", the number of relevant articles (and percentage of those inaccurately using these terms) were 374 (1.1%), and 49 (8.2%), respectively. All 52 abstracts containing "olfactory" and "vestibule" were irrelevant, relating to the "nasal vestibule" and olfactory function, instead of "olfactory vestibule". Overall, terms used to describe "olfactory" spaces near the CP are seldom ambiguous or inaccurate, but the terms olfactory "groove" and "fossa" are occasionally misused, We propose several new "olfactory" terms for inclusion in the Terminologia Anatomica, and stress the need for uniform nomenclature leading to greater consistency and accuracy in clinical use of anatomical terms containing the word "olfactory" as a descriptor.
More Related Videos
08:30Imaging Odor-Evoked Activities in the Mouse Olfactory Bulb using Optical Reflectance and Autofluorescence Signals
Published on: October 31, 2011
15:40An Effective Manual Deboning Method To Prepare Intact Mouse Nasal Tissue With Preserved Anatomical Organization
Published on: August 10, 2013
Related Concept Videos
Olfactory Receptors: Location and Structure
Olfaction
The olfactory receptors are embedded in the cilia of the...
Physiology of Smell and Olfactory Pathway
The olfactory...
Nose and Nasal Cavity
Anatomical Terminology