Category Archives: VNO, sense of smell

Abstract Because humans seem to lack neuronal elements in the vomeronasal organ (VNO), many scientists believe that humans are unable to detect pheromones. This view is challenged by the observations that pheromone-like compounds, 4,16-androstadien-3-one (AND) and oestra-1,3,5(10),16-tetraen-3-ol (EST), activate the human hypothalamus. Whether these activations are mediated via VNO, venous blood or olfactory mucosa is …

Continue reading “Pheromone signal transduction in humans: what can be learned from olfactory loss”

Abstract Social chemosignals, so-called pheromones, have recently attracted much attention in that effects on women’s psychophysiology and cortical processing have been reported. We here tested the hypothesis that the human brain would process a putative social chemosignal, the endogenous steroid androstadienone, faster than other odorants with perceptually matched intensity and hedonic characteristics. Chemosensory event-related potentials …

Continue reading “A putative social chemosignal elicits faster cortical responses than perceptually similar odorants”

Abstract Individual differences in sensitivity to the putative human pheromone androstadienone were investigated in three experiments. In experiment 1, the absolute detection threshold for androstadienone was determined to be 211 µM using the method of constant stimuli. Detection for the related compound estratetraenol was also investigated but a threshold could not be determined. In experiment …

Continue reading “Individual Differences in Sensitivity to the Odor of 4,16-Androstadien-3-one”

Abstract A sex-related difference in olfactory sensitivity to androstenone has been reported to occur during adolescence. More males than females exhibited anosmia to androstenone, or an increase in androstenone threshold with age. The current study addressed the question whether similar, sexually dimorphic effects of aging over puberty can also be found for androstadienone. A total …

Continue reading “Androstadienone odor thresholds in adolescents”

Abstract Androstadienone is a steroid found in human sweat and other secretions. It has been widely proposed as a candidate for a human pheromone. As an odorant it possesses some unique properties. Here we demonstrate that, firstly, there is a very wide range of thresholds in the human population, and they are not normally distributed. …

Continue reading “Changes in the odor quality of androstadienone during exposure-induced sensitization”

Abstract Among primates in general, pheromones are of variable importance to social communication. Data on humans have generated the greatest controversy regarding the existence of pheromonal communication. In this review, the likelihood of pheromonal communication in humans is assessed with a discussion of chemical compounds produced by the axilla that may function as pheromones; the …

Continue reading “Facts, fallacies, fears, and frustrations with human pheromones”

Abstract The vomeronasal organ (VNO) is a complex of different structures that forward specific chemical signals commonly called pheromones to the central nervous system. In some macrosmatic animals, e.g. rodents, the VNO consists of vomeronasal receptor neurons located in a sensory epithelium of the vomeronasal duct, their afferent axons connecting the duct with the accessory …

Continue reading “Structure and function of the vomeronasal organ”

Abstract It has been estimated that approximately 30% of the population is unable to detect the odor of androstenone. These estimates, however, were made using tests and criteria optimized for identifying detection. Such criteria favor Type II over Type I errors–that is, they are excellent at identifying true detectors at the cost of erroneously labeling …

Continue reading “The prevalence of androstenone anosmia”

Abstract We studied the functional characteristics of the vomeronasal system in clinically normal adult subjects of both sexes (ages 20-45). Chemosensory substances were administered in punctate pulses in a continuous air stream from the tip of a multifunctional miniprobe, which contained a nonpolarizable electrode. Negative potentials with the characteristics of receptor potentials were recorded from …

Continue reading “The human vomeronasal system”

Abstract To obtain information on the possible role of the vomeronasal duct (VND) in odor perception and human pheromone detection, the present study investigated different aspects of olfactory function, including thresholds for androstenone in adults with or without detectable VNDs. The study also examined correlations between detection thresholds of androstenone odor and general olfactory function. …

Continue reading “Assessment of olfactory function and androstenone odor thresholds in humans with or without functional occlusion of the vomeronasal duct”