The neural representation of odor is modulated by the presence of a trigeminal stimulus during odor encoding

Objectives Odor perception does not simply consist in hierarchical processing from transduction to a single “true” cerebral representation. Odor sensation may be modulated by available sensory information during encoding. The present study set out to examine whether the presence of a pure trigeminal stimulus during odor encoding may modulate odor perception at both behavioral and cortical levels. Methods Participants were tested in a 2-session within-subject design: first, an odor encoding session included a delay conditioning procedure in which relatively selective olfactory stimulants (phenyl ethyl alcohol or vanillin, Conditioned Stimulus+, CS+) were presented either with a pulse of CO2 (Unconditioned Stimulus, US), or alone (Conditioned Stimulus−, CS−); then, in the second session, both pure odorants (CS+ and CS−) were presented alone. During this second session, olfactory event-related potentials were simultaneously recorded and analyzed at different electrode sites including Cz and Pz (sites known to have maximal amplitudes for trigeminal and olfactory stimuli, respectively). After each trial, subjects were asked to rate odor intensity and hedonics. Results The results showed that CS+ intensity ratings increased in 8 subjects and decreased in 6. Cortically, a group effect was observed for P2 amplitude, which increased in the “CS+ intensity increase” group vs. the “CS+ intensity decrease” group at Cz (p < 0.05) but not at Pz (p > 0.05). Conclusions This result suggests that the presence of a pure trigeminal stimulus (CO2) during odor encoding alters the neural representation of a pure odor. Significance The neural representation of odors comprises not only the odor itself but also contextual information (trigeminal in the present case) presented during encoding.