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Testing for Odor Discrimination and Habituation in Mice
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Sex Differences in Odor Hedonic Perception: An Overview.

Charlotte Bontempi1, Laurence Jacquot1, Gérard Brand1,2

  • 1Laboratoire de Recherches Intégratives en Neurosciences et Psychologie Cognitive - UR481, Université de Franche-Comté, Besançon, France.

Frontiers in Neuroscience
|November 4, 2021
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Gender differences in odor perception are minimal for general smells but more pronounced for body odors. This review finds little evidence of gender-based variation in the hedonic judgment of odors, especially in psychiatric patients.

Keywords:
emotionhedonicityolfactionpleasantness ratingsex differences

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Sensory Perception
  • Psychology

Background:

  • Odor hedonic evaluation (pleasantness/unpleasantness) is a primary dimension of olfactory perception.
  • While sex differences in olfaction are well-researched, gender's impact on hedonic perception is less understood.
  • Existing studies use diverse methods, including psychophysical and psychophysiological measurements, to compare men and women.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review experimental works on gender differences in odor hedonic perception.
  • To analyze findings for both non-specific and body odors.
  • To examine gender effects in healthy participants versus patients with psychiatric disorders.

Main Methods:

  • Systematic review of experimental studies comparing odor hedonic judgments between genders.
  • Categorization of studies based on odor type (non-specific vs. body odors).
  • Inclusion of studies comparing healthy individuals with psychiatric patient groups.

Main Results:

  • Overall literature suggests no significant gender differences in odor hedonic judgment, unlike differences in odor sensitivity, identification, or discrimination.
  • Gender effects are more apparent for body odors compared to non-specific odors.
  • Gender differences in hedonic judgment are rarely reported in individuals with psychiatric disorders.

Conclusions:

  • Gender has a limited impact on the hedonic judgment of odors, particularly for non-specific scents.
  • The influence of gender on odor pleasantness is more pronounced for body odors.
  • Findings are discussed concerning pleasantness rating mechanisms and emotional processing, with minimal gender influence noted in psychiatric conditions.