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At least 1,333 records · Page 74Linked to original sources
PubMed1999

The representation of pleasant touch in the brain and its relationship with taste and olfactory areas.

Although there has been much investigation of brain pathways involved in pain, little is known about the brain mechanisms involved in processing somatosensory stimuli which feel pleasant. Employing fMRI it was shown that pleasant touch to the hand with velvet produced stronger activation of the orbitofrontal cortex than affectively neutral touch of the hand with wood. In contrast, the affectively neutral but more intense touch produced more activation of the primary somatosensory cortex than the pleasant stimulus. This indicates that part of the orbitofrontal cortex is concerned with representing the positively affective aspects of somatosensory stimuli, and in further experiments it was shown that this orbitofrontal area is different from that activated by taste and smell. The finding that three different primary or unlearned types of reinforcer (touch, taste, and smell) are represented in the orbitofrontal cortex helps to provide a firm foundation for understanding the neural basis of emotions, which can be understood in terms of states elicited by stimuli which are rewarding or punishing.

Brain↗
PubMed2001

Olfaction and its alteration by nasal obstruction, rhinitis, and rhinosinusitis.

The sense of smell has been largely ignored by otorhinolaryngologists, even though 1) its medical stewardship falls within their specialty's purview, 2) olfactory dysfunction is not uncommon in the general population, and 3) disorders of olfaction have significant quality of life, nutritional, and safety consequences. This report provides a succinct overview of the major intranasal neural systems present in humans (namely, cranial nerves O, I, and V, and the nonfunctional accessory [vomeronasal] organ system), along with a summary of notable findings resulting from the application of modern olfactory tests to patient populations, emphasizing diseases of the nose. Such tests have led to the discovery of significant influences of age, gender, smoking, toxic exposure, and genetics on the ability to smell. Within the field of otorhinolaryngology, they have revealed that 1) surgical and medical interventions in patients with rhinosinusitis do not, on average, lead to complete recovery of olfactory function, despite common beliefs to the contrary, and 2) associations are generally lacking between measures of airway patency and olfactory function in such cases. These findings have thrown into question the dogma that olfactory loss in rhinosinusitis is attributable primarily to blockage of airflow to the receptors and have led to histopathological studies demonstrating significant olfactory epithelial compromise in sinonasal syndromes.

Cranial Nerves↗
PubMed2003

Retronasal olfactory function in nasal polyposis.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the question of whether there is a difference in retronasal olfactory function between patients suffering from chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyposis (NP) and healthy controls. This question was based on the clinical observation that many of these patients present with smell loss without complaining about loss of the appreciation of foods. STUDY DESIGN: Open prospective study comparing symptomatic patients with healthy controls. METHODS: A total of 56 healthy volunteers and 42 NP patients were tested for orthonasal and retronasal odor identification. All subjects received detailed nasal endoscopy; NP was staged according to the Malm classification. Patients rated their olfactory function on visual analogue scales. Orthonasal testing was performed using the "Sniffin' Sticks" test kit. Retronasal testing was evaluated with odorized powders applied to the oral cavity. In both tests, subjects were asked to identify 10 items using a forced choice paradigm. RESULTS: Overall, odor identification was better in controls compared with NP patients (P <.001). Although controls exhibited no difference between orthonasal and retronasal smelling (P =.26), in NP patients, olfactory function was significantly better when odors were applied through the retronasal route (P <.001). Ratings of general olfactory abilities correlated with retronasal and orthonasal olfactory function in NP patients (P <.001) but not in healthy controls (P =.34). CONCLUSION: Better retronasal than orthonasal olfactory function seems to be associated with the presence of mechanical obstruction in the anterior portion of the olfactory cleft. In turn, these data indicate that olfactory loss in NP seems to be caused by regional mechanical or inflammatory factors.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Infant diabetic ketoacidosis in the emergency department.

We present the case of an infant brought to the emergency department with complaints commonly associated with a typical childhood illness. Surprisingly, he was found to have diabetes mellitus with ketoacidosis. The usual symptoms of polyuria, polydipsia, and weight loss attributed to diabetes mellitus were not observed. A fruity smell on his breath led to appropriate laboratory tests and ultimately to the correct diagnosis. We review appropriate management of infantile diabetic ketoacidosis, emphasizing the importance of considering diabetes mellitus and ketoacidosis in infants admitted to the emergency department with common complaints such as vomiting and irritability. As in our case, the clinical finding of a fruity breath smell can be an important factor in diagnosis.

Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1↗
PubMed2006

An updated review of clinical olfaction.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Disorders of the sense of smell can result through hundreds of different processes, but most commonly occur from upper-respiratory-tract infections, trauma, and chronic rhinosinusitis. RECENT DEVELOPMENTS: Research in the basic science of olfaction has progressed rapidly with powerful new molecular discoveries; however, our ability to treat these disorders remains limited. In clinical olfaction we are just realizing the broader existence of the sensory dysfunction in our population. We are discovering associations between neurodegenerative disorders and smell function that may allow us to identify these disorders earlier in the disease process. We are also challenging our previous categorization schemes and realizing that many etiologies cross the traditional conductive and neuro-sensory divisions. SUMMARY: Currently, aside from the possible therapeutic potential of systemic steroids, we have no effective treatment for the most common causes of olfactory loss. Recent advances in the basic science of olfaction provides us with an opportunity to develop new and novel clinical studies in an attempt at improving the quality of life for many of these patients.

Brain Injuries↗
PubMed1999

Human body odour, symmetry and attractiveness.

Several studies have found body and facial symmetry as well as attractiveness to be human mate choice criteria. These characteristics are presumed to signal developmental stability. Human body odour has been shown to influence female mate choice depending on the immune system, but the question of whether smell could signal general mate quality, as do other cues, was not addressed in previous studies. We compared ratings of body odour, attractiveness, and measurements of facial and body asymmetry of 16 male and 19 female subjects. Subjects wore a T-shirt for three consecutive nights under controlled conditions. Opposite-sex raters judged the odour of the T-shirts and another group evaluated portraits of the subjects for attractiveness. We measured seven bilateral traits of the subject's body to assess body asymmetry. Facial asymmetry was examined by distance measurements of portrait photographs. The results showed a significant positive correlation between facial attractiveness and sexiness of body odour for female subjects. We found positive relationships between body odour and attractiveness and negative ones between smell and body asymmetry for males only if female odour raters were in the most fertile phase of their menstrual cycle. The outcomes are discussed in the light of different male and female reproductive strategies.

Adult↗
PubMed2001

Explaining social learning of food preferences without aversions: an evolutionary simulation model of Norway rats.

Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus) transmit preferences for novel foods socially by smelling each other's breath. However, rats fail to learn aversions, acquiring a preference even if the rat whose breath they smell has been poisoned. Rats can distinguish between sick and healthy conspecifics and social learning of both preferences and aversions is present in other species - hence it is unclear why rats cannot learn aversions socially. We constructed an evolutionary simulation in which a population of rats foraged from a central location, exploiting food sites that could contain edible or toxic foodstuffs. We examined the relationship between toxin lethality and selection for individual versus social learning and discrimination between sick and healthy conspecifics in order to allow learning of both preferences and aversions. At low lethality levels individual learning was selected for and at intermediate levels we found social learning of both preferences and aversions. Finally, given high lethality levels the simulated rats would employ social learning but failed to learn aversions, matching the behaviour of real rats. We argue that Norway rats do not learn aversions socially because their environment may contain only highly lethal toxins which make interaction with a sick conspecific an extremely rare event.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

The effects of menthol isomers on nasal sensation of airflow.

The effects of inhalation of L-menthol, D-isomenthol and D-neomenthol, upon nasal resistance and sensation to airflow were investigated in 40 subjects. L-menthol caused a highly significant enhancement of nasal sensation of airflow but despite their great similarity in structure and a similar peppermint smell the isomers D-isomenthol and D-neomenthol had no effect on nasal sensation of airflow. These findings show that L-menthol has a specific pharmacological action on nasal sensory nerve endings which is not related to its peppermint smell.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

Placebo-controlled challenges with perfume in patients with asthma-like symptoms.

A group of nine patients with respiratory symptoms after nonspecific irritating stimuli, but without any IgE-mediated allergy or demonstrable bronchial obstruction, were referred to the asthma/allergy outpatient department for evaluation of suspected asthma. In order to find a provocation model and objectively assess these patients' symptoms in controlled studies, provocation with perfume or placebo was performed. The same patients were also subjected to perfume provocation with or without a carbon filter mask to ascertain whether breathing through a filter with active carbon could prevent the symptoms. The patients breathed through the mouth during the provocations, as they used a nasal clamp to prevent any smell of perfume. We found that the patients' earlier symptoms could be verified by perfume provocation. Breathing through the carbon filter had no protective effect. The conclusion is that symptoms suggesting hyperreactivity of the respiratory tract and asthma can be provoked by perfume without the presence of bronchial obstruction, and that using a carbon filter mask has no preventive effect. The symptoms are not transmitted via the olfactory nerve, since the patients could not smell the perfume, but they may have been induced by a trigeminal reflex via the respiratory tract or by the eyes.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Vaginal foreign bodies.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical features and outcome in girls with a vaginal foreign body. METHODS: Retrospective review of medical records of 35 girls with a vaginal foreign body seen in an outpatient clinic for paediatric and adolescent gynaecology between 1980 and 2000. RESULTS: The ages ranged from 2.6 to 9.2 years. The most common symptom was blood-stained vaginal discharge/vaginal bleeding (49%). Duration of symptoms varied from 1 day to 2 years. Fifty-four percent of the patients recalled insertion of the foreign object, usually by the girl herself. All but three patients (91%) either recalled insertion of the foreign object and/or had vaginal bleeding or blood-stained or foul-smelling vaginal discharge, and/or visualization or palpation of the foreign body in physical examination. Symptoms resolved after removal of the foreign body followed by a single irrigation with Providon-Iod (Betadine). CONCLUSION: In the majority of patients a carefully obtained history and physical examination suggest the diagnosis of a vaginal foreign object. The leading symptoms are vaginal bleeding and blood-stained or foul smelling vaginal discharge. Removal of the foreign object followed by a single irrigation with Providon-Iod is the definitive treatment and does not require additional measures.

Child↗
PubMed2001

Exercise increases blood flow to locomotor, vestibular, cardiorespiratory and visual regions of the brain in miniature swine.

1. The purpose of these experiments was to use radiolabelled microspheres to measure blood flow distribution within the brain, and in particular to areas associated with motor function, maintenance of equilibrium, cardiorespiratory control, vision, hearing and smell, at rest and during exercise in miniature swine. Exercise consisted of steady-state treadmill running at intensities eliciting 70 and 100 % maximal oxygen consumption (V(O(2),max)). 2. Mean arterial pressure was elevated by 17 and 26 % above that at rest during exercise at 70 and 100 % V(O(2),max), respectively. 3. Mean brain blood flow increased 24 and 25 % at 70 and 100 % V(O(2),max), respectively. Blood flow was not locally elevated to cortical regions associated with motor and somatosensory functions during exercise, but was increased to several subcortical areas that are involved in the control of locomotion. 4. Exercise elevated perfusion and diminished vascular resistance in several regions of the brain related to the maintenance of equilibrium (vestibular nuclear area, cerebellar ventral vermis and floccular lobe), cardiorespiratory control (medulla and pons), and vision (dorsal occipital cortex, superior colliculi and lateral geniculate body). Conversely, blood flow to regions related to hearing (cochlear nuclei, inferior colliculi and temporal cortex) and smell (olfactory bulbs and rhinencephalon) were unaltered by exercise and associated with increases in vascular resistance. 5. The data indicate that blood flow increases as a function of exercise intensity to several areas of the brain associated with integrating sensory input and motor output (anterior and dorsal cerebellar vermis) and the maintenance of equilibrium (vestibular nuclei). Additionally, there was an intensity-dependent decrease of vascular resistance in the dorsal cerebellar vermis.

Animals↗
PubMed1990

A newly designed deodorant pad for urinary incontinence.

The authors designed a new pad for urinary incontinence. It is composed of a cloth of acrylonitrile copper sulfide and another cloth of iron-phthalocyanine. In vitro experiments showed that acrylonitrile copper sulfide cloth inhibited the growth of most bacteria causing urinary tract infection, and that iron-phthalocyanine cloth effectively eliminated bad-smelling gases. The use of this pad relieved diaper-dermatitis and diminished offensive smells from feces and urine. This pad was well received by nurses and helpers taking care of incontinent elderly people.

Acrylonitrile↗
PubMed1999

[Two cases of pasteurellosis accompanied by exudate with semen-like odor from the wound].

We encountered two cases of Pasteurella multocida subsp. septica isolation from exudates with seminal fluid-like odor from dog scratch and cat bite. Case 1: A 78-year-old male who had been diagnosed as having diabetes mellitus five years ago was scratched by the claw of a pet dog (Pekinese) on the back of the right hand. Since inflammation ascended to the arm, the patient visited Nihon University Itabashi hospital for a medical examination. Case 2: A 51-year-old female without a specific past history other than hyperlipidemia was bitten by a pet cat at the medical and lateral sides of the left carpus. The patient immediately opened the wound and washed it with tap water, followed by disinfection using a non-iodine disinfectant at home. Two hours later, the patient felt an unpleasant sensation and smelled a seminal fluid-like odor at the wound. The next morning, the entire left arm swelled and pain worsened, then the patient sought medical attention. The patients were treated with antibiotics and the wound completely healed on the 16 days from on set in Case 1 and on the 10 days from onset in Case 2. From these two cases, Pasteurella multocida subsp. septica was isolated from the exudate, suggesting that when wounds caused by animals smell like seminal fluid, the wound is infected with Pasteurellae. This finding may be an important clue for differentiation in clinical diagnosis.

Aged↗
PubMed1994

Inventing a new diagnostic test for vaginal infection.

Bacterial vaginosis, which is underdiagnosed in clinical practice, has a characteristic fishy smell because of production of diamines. This smell is the basis of a visual rapid diagnostic test that is technically simple to perform. The test has been patented in Europe and America, and a licence agreement has been negotiated. This paper describes the process from idea to invention to patenting and licensing. The combined costs of research and patenting were met by a multinational company in return for rights to exploit the patent invention. The process has taken nine years and has needed clinical, scientific, legal, and commercial input to get the test to the marketplace.

Costs and Cost Analysis↗
PubMed2006

The significance of post-traumatic amnesia as a risk factor in the development of olfactory dysfunction following head injury.

OBJECTIVE: To test the following hypothesis in the assessment of head injury PATIENTS: only patients with 5 min or more of post-traumatic amnesia (PTA) are at risk of acute olfactory dysfunction (OD). METHODS: This was a retrospective comparative study of olfactory status in head injury patients seen at a head injury clinic at Glasgow Royal Infirmary from 1985 to 2003. Of 828 clinic attenders, 101 had acute OD. These subjects were compared with a randomly selected control group of 102 patients with head injury but normal olfactory function. The main outcome measure was a significant likelihood of patients with PTA lasting for 5 or more minutes having acute OD compared with those with PTA of less than 5 min. RESULTS: The likelihood of patients with a PTA of 5 min or more having acute OD compared to those with PTA of less than 5 min is clinically significant with an odds ratio of 9.6 (p<0.01). CONCLUSION: Examination of patients with 5 min or more of PTA should include a simple test of sense of smell. Patients with impaired smell sensation should be aware of their condition prior to discharge from hospital. In addition, the need for a CT brain scan and appropriate follow up should be considered.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed2003

Olfactory dysfunction in degenerative ataxias.

Several lines of evidence suggest that the cerebellum may play a role in higher-order olfactory processing. In this study, we administered the University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test (UPSIT), a standardised test of olfactory function, to patients with ataxias primarily due to cerebellar pathology (spinocerebellar ataxias and related disorders) and to patients with Friedreich ataxia, an ataxia associated mainly with loss of afferent cerebellar pathways. UPSIT scores were slightly lower in both patient groups than in the control subjects, but no differences were noted between the scores of the Friedreich and the other ataxia patients. Within the Friedreich ataxia group, the smell test scores did not correlate with the number of pathologic GAA repeats (a marker of genetic severity), disease duration, or categorical ambulatory ability. UPSIT scores did not correlate with disease duration, although they correlated marginally with ambulatory status in the patients with cerebellar pathology. This study suggests that olfactory dysfunction may be a subtle clinical component of degenerative ataxias, in concordance with the hypothesis that the cerebellum or its afferents plays some role in central olfactory processing.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

Acute and subacute symptoms among workers in the printing industry.

The study population comprised 52 male printers and 52 controls. Each person was interviewed about job history, general health, and work-related symptoms. Symptoms from eyes and airways, neurological symptoms, and general symptoms were recorded. A lung function test and a measurement of the sense of smell were also carried out. The printers had significantly more eye, airway, and neurological symptoms than the controls; the main complaints being irritation of eyes, nose, throat, and a reduced sense of taste. The neurological symptoms were disorders of vision, vertigo, feeling of intoxication, and headache. Furthermore, abdominal pain and flatulence occurred more often among the printers. The symptoms showed no relation to age or job seniority, but neurological and general symptoms were related to shift work. No difference in lung function was found between the two groups. The printers had a slightly lower threshold of smell than the controls. Although the total load due to organic solvents and dust in the air was far below legal limits, the number of magnitude of symptoms experienced by the printers exceeded what is supposed when norms for workroom exposure are set. It is suggested that either the irritative effects of solvents are underestimated or the assumption of additive effects when great numbers of solvents are found does not hold true. A reduction of the number of solvents by eliminating the most toxic solvents or by using dyes without solvents is suggested.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Preferences and practices among renters regarding smoking restrictions in apartment buildings.

OBJECTIVE: This study assessed renters' preferences for official smoking policies in their buildings and their practices concerning restricting tobacco smoking in their apartments. DESIGN: Renters (n = 301) living in large apartment complexes in a suburb of Minneapolis, Minnesota, completed a mail survey. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: The survey asked about the official smoking policies in place in their apartment buildings, their preferences for policies, whether they had smelled tobacco smoke coming into their apartments from without, and, if so, what they had done about it. RESULTS: The majority of non-smokers (79%) preferred that their building be smoke-free. When asked to identify the current smoking policy in their buildings, residents disagreed substantially. Most renters (60%) reported smoke-free policies in their own apartments and another significant proportion (23%) restricted smoking to certain areas or occasions or persons. 75% thought that enforcing a smoke-free policy for guests would not be difficult. 53% of those in non-smoking households had smelled tobacco smoke in their apartments; most of these reported being bothered by it. However, very few complained to the building owner or manager (15.5%) or to the smoker (6.9%). CONCLUSIONS: The majority of non-smokers preferred that their buildings be smoke-free. A failure to report problems to apartment managers might be an impediment to instituting smoke-free policies in apartment buildings. The considerable disagreement among residents within apartment complexes about the current official smoking policy in their buildings suggests that policies are lacking or are not well communicated.

Adolescent↗