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Chemosensory event-related potentials change with age
1Department of Experimental and Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany. hummeltc@compuserve.com
Summary
Aging impairs smell and trigeminal senses, affecting odor discrimination and brain responses measured by chemosensory event-related potentials (CSERP). These changes vary for different chemical senses.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Sensory Science
- Gerontology
Background:
- Olfactory and trigeminal senses are crucial for quality of life.
- Age-related sensory decline is a significant concern in gerontology.
- Understanding changes in chemical senses with age is important for health and well-being.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate age-related alterations in the perception of olfactory and trigeminal stimuli.
- To evaluate cognitive functions such as memory and attention in different age groups.
- To assess odor identification, discrimination, and detection thresholds across the lifespan.
Main Methods:
- Utilized chemosensory event-related potentials (CSERP) to measure neural responses.
- Recruited healthy volunteers across three age groups (15-34, 35-54, 55-74 years).
- Conducted psychological assessments, odor identification/discrimination tests, and detection threshold measurements.
Main Results:
- Odor discrimination ability significantly decreased with age.
- Age-related changes were observed in CSERP N1P2 and P2 amplitudes, and N1 peak latency.
- The decline in CSERP amplitudes differed between olfactory and trigeminal stimulant responses.
Conclusions:
- Aging impacts both olfactory and trigeminal sensory processing.
- CSERP measures reveal age-dependent neural alterations in chemical sense perception.
- The distinct time courses suggest differential aging effects on olfactory versus trigeminal pathways.