The Fundamental role of memory in olfactory perception | Macquarie University ResearchOnline

Home

Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/1959.14/75478

30 Visitors

34 Hits

0 Downloads

Title: The Fundamental role of memory in olfactory perception
Related: Trends in neurosciences, Vol. 26, Issue 5, p.243-247
DOI: 10.1016/S0166-2236(03)00076-6
Publisher: Elsevier
Date: 2003
FoR/RFCD Code(s): 110900 Neurosciences 170200 Cognitive Sciences
Author/Creator: Wilson, Donald A
Author/Creator: Stevenson, Richard J
Description: Current emphasis on odorant physiochemical features as the basis for perception largely ignores the synthetic and experience-dependent nature of olfaction. Olfaction is synthetic, as mammals have only limited ability to identify elements within even simple odor mixtures. Furthermore, olfaction is experience-bound, as exposure alone can significantly affect the extent to which stimuli can be discriminated. We propose that early analytical processing of odors is inaccessible at the behavioral level and that all odors are initially encoded as ‘objects’ in the piriform cortex. Moreover, we suggest that odor perception is wholly dependent on the integrity of this memory system and that its loss severely impairs normal perception.
Description: 5 page(s)
Subject Keyword: 110900 Neurosciences
Subject Keyword: 170200 Cognitive Sciences
Resource Type: journal article
Organisation: Macquarie University. Dept. of Psychology

Macquarie University ResearchOnline