Chemotopic representations of aromatic odorants in the rat olfactory bulb.

ABSTRACT: Our laboratory has characterized spatial patterns of evoked neural activity across the entire glomerular layer of the rat olfactory bulb using primarily aliphatic odorants that differ systematically in functional groups and hydrocarbon structures. To represent more fully the true range of odorant chemistry, we investigated aromatic compounds, which have a more rigid molecular structure than most aliphatic compounds and are particularly salient olfactory stimuli for humans. We first investigated glomerular patterns of 2-deoxyglucose uptake in response to aromatic compounds that differ in the nature and position of their functional groups (e.g., xylenes, trimethylbenzenes, tolualdehydes, benzaldehydes, methyl toluates, and anisaldehydes). We also studied the effects of systematic increases i

SUBMITTER: Farahbod H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2224900 | biostudies-literature | 2006 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature