Neuroscience
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Randomized Controlled Trial
Olfactory modulation of the contingent negative variation to auditory stimuli.
Although pleasantness is intrinsically related to the perception of odors it is difficult to objectively assess odor-induced pleasantness. To evaluate the effects of odors of different valences on the contingent negative variation (CNV) in a younger and an older population. Data from 62 participants (27 men, 35 women) were included. ⋯ Overall, the results suggest the usefulness of CNV as an electrophysiological measure of cognition. However, in the present context, concomitantly applied odors of different hedonic tones exerted only minor effects on CNV. Thus, we conclude that odors have little or no effect on CNV.