Dataset Information

Nostril-specific and structure-based olfactory learning of chiral discrimination in human adults.

ABSTRACT: Practice makes perfect. In human olfaction, such plasticity is generally assumed to occur at the level of cortical synthetic processing that shares information from both nostrils. Here we present findings that challenge this view. In two experiments, we trained human adults unirhinally for the discrimination between odor enantiomers over a course of about 10 to 11 days. Results showed that training-induced perceptual gain was restricted to the trained nostril yet partially generalized to untrained odor enantiomers in a structure- rather than quality- based manner. In other words, learning enhanced the differentiation of chirality (molecular configuration) as opposed to overall odor quality (odor object) per se. These findings argue that, unlike earlier beliefs, one nostril does not readily know what the other learns. Moreover, the initial analytical processing of the structural features of uninarial olfactory input remains plastic in human adults.

SUBMITTER: Feng G

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6336403 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Publications

Nostril-specific and structure-based olfactory learning of chiral discrimination in human adults.

Feng Guo G Zhou Wen W

eLife 20190117

Practice makes perfect. In human olfaction, such plasticity is generally assumed to occur at the level of cortical synthetic processing that shares information from both nostrils. Here we present findings that challenge this view. In two experiments, we trained human adults unirhinally for the discrimination between odor enantiomers over a course of about 10 to 11 days. Results showed that training-induced perceptual gain was restricted to the trained nostril yet partially generalized to untrain ...[more]

PMID: 30652684

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Project description:Rodent behavioral tasks are crucial to understanding the nature and underlying biology of cognition and cognitive deficits observed in psychiatric and neurological pathologies. Olfaction, as the primary sensory modality in rodents, is widely used to investigate cognition in rodents. In recent years, automation of olfactory tasks has made it possible to conduct olfactory experiments in a time- and labor-efficient manner while also minimizing experimenter-induced variability. In this study, we bring automation to the next level in two ways: First, by incorporating a radio frequency identification-based sorter that automatically isolates individuals for the experimental session. Thus, we can not only test animals during defined experimental sessions throughout the day but also prevent cagemate interference during task performance. Second, by implementing software that advances individuals to the next test stage as soon as performance criteria are reached. Thus, we can prevent overtraining, a known confounder especially in cognitive flexibility tasks. With this system in hand, we trained mice on a series of four odor pair discrimination tasks as well as their respective reversals. Due to performance-based advancement, mice normally advanced to the next stage in less than a day. Over the series of subsequent odor pair discriminations, the number of errors to criterion decreased significantly, thus indicating the formation of a learning set. As expected, errors to criterion were higher during reversals. Our results confirm that the system allows investigating higher-order cognitive functions such as learning set formation (which is understudied in mice) and reversal learning (which is a measure of cognitive flexibility and impaired in many clinical populations). Therefore, our system will facilitate investigations into the nature of cognition and cognitive deficits in pathological conditions by providing a high-throughput and labor-efficient experimental approach without the risks of overtraining or cagemate interference.

Dataset Information

Nostril-specific and structure-based olfactory learning of chiral discrimination in human adults.

Publications

Nostril-specific and structure-based olfactory learning of chiral discrimination in human adults.

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