Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 25, 2025

An Olfactory Preference Test for Measuring Olfactory Hedonic Biases in Mouse Models of Depression
Published on: July 11, 2025
Olfactory loss is a predisposing factor for depression, while olfactory enrichment is an effective treatment for
Michael Leon1,2, Cynthia C Woo1
1Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, CA, United States.
Abstract:
The loss of olfactory stimulation correlates well with at least 68 widely differing neurological disorders, including depression, and we raise the possibility that this relationship may be causal. That is, it seems possible that olfactory loss makes the brain vulnerable to expressing the symptoms of these neurological disorders, while daily olfactory enrichment may decrease the risk of expressing these symptoms. This situation resembles the cognitive reserve that is thought to protect people with Alzheimer's neuropathology from expressing the functional deficit in memory through the cumulative effect of intellectual stimulation. These relationships also resemble the functional response of animal models of human neurological disorders to environmental enrichment, wherein the animals continue to have the induced neuropathology, but do not express the symptoms as they do in a standard environment with restricted sensorimotor stimulation.
More Related Videos
08:33Olfactory Neurons Obtained through Nasal Biopsy Combined with Laser-Capture Microdissection: A Potential Approach to Study Treatment Response in Mental Disorders
Published on: December 4, 2014
07:27Olfactory Assays for Mouse Models of Neurodegenerative Disease
Published on: August 25, 2014
Related Concept Videos
Olfaction
The olfactory receptors are embedded in the cilia of the...
Olfactory Receptors: Location and Structure
Antidepressant Drugs: MAOIs and Other Agents
Depression: Overview
Taste Buds and Receptors
Long-term Depression