Odor-induced changes in taste perception

• Published in: Experimental brain research Vol. 159; no. 3; pp. 405 - 408
• Main Authors: DJORDJEVIC, J, ZATORRE, R. J, JONES-GOTMAN, M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin Springer 01.12.2004; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Analysis of Variance; Biological and medical sciences; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Female; Fragaria; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Humans; Imagination - physiology; Male; Odorants; Olfactory system and olfaction. Gustatory system and gustation; Perception - physiology; Salts - pharmacology; Smell - physiology; Sucrose - pharmacology; Sweetening Agents - pharmacology; Taste - physiology; Taste Threshold - drug effects; Vertebrates: nervous system and sense organs; Human; Tastant; Interaction; Sweetness; Taste-smell interaction; Odorant; Odor imagery; Gustation; Olfaction; Perception; Taste; Saltiness; Odor
• ISSN: 0014-4819; 1432-1106
• DOI: 10.1007/s00221-004-2103-y

We investigated odor-induced changes in taste perception (OICTP), by examining the influence of strawberry and soy sauce odors on perceived sweetness (Experiment 1) and saltiness (Experiment 2). We explored whether taste-smell interactions occur at the central level, by delivering odorants (strawberry, soy sauce, odorless water) and tastants (sucrose, sodium chloride) separately, and whether effects of imagined odors are comparable to those of physically presented odors. We found specific taste-smell interactions: sweetness enhancement induced by strawberry odor and saltiness enhancement induced by soy sauce odor. These interactions were elicited with separate delivery of olfactory and gustatory stimuli. Secondly, we found a similar but rather limited effect with the imagined odors: imagined strawberry enhanced perceived sweetness of water solutions, and imagined soy sauce enhanced perceived saltiness of weak sodium chloride solutions. We concluded that OICTP is a centrally mediated phenomenon, and that imagined odors can to some extent induce changes in perceived taste intensity comparable to those elicited by perceived odors.