Scheibe M, Opatz O, Hummel T
Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Smell and Taste Clinic, University of Dresden Medical School, Germany.
Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol. 2009 Aug;266(8):1323-6. doi: 10.1007/s00405-008-0860-0. Epub 2008 Nov 11.
Sex differences in olfactory sensitivity have been reported since the late 1800's with women typically outperforming men on tests of odor detection, discrimination or identification. It is not known whether women adapt differently than men to olfactory and trigeminal stimuli. Seventeen healthy volunteers participated (9 female, 8 male, mean age 22 years) in the study. As established by an odor identification test (UPSIT, score > or =38) all subjects had normal olfactory function. Event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded in response to olfactory (25% v/v phenyl ethyl alcohol) and trigeminal (44% v/v CO(2)) stimuli using a computer controlled olfactometer (flow 8 L/min; stimulus duration 200 ms). Stimuli were applied at four intervals (5, 10, 20, and 60 s). Amplitudes and latencies of ERP peaks P1, N1, and P2 were measured. Stimulus intensity also rated using visual analogue scales subjects. When compared to phenyl ethyl alcohol, the slightly more intense CO(2) produced larger amplitudes and shorter latencies. Both, ratings and ERP amplitudes P2 decreased with decreasing interval between stimuli. Responses to the trigeminal and olfactory stimuli changed similarly in relation to repetitive stimulation. Women had larger ERP amplitudes P2. No sex-related difference for ratings and ERP in relation to repeated stimulation amplitudes was observed. Although women exhibit larger ERP amplitudes to chemosensory stimuli compared to men, the present data indicate on both psychophysical and electrophysiological levels that there is no major difference between young, healthy men and women in relation to short-term adaptation to suprathreshold chemosensory stimulation.
自19世纪末以来，人们就报告了嗅觉敏感性的性别差异，在气味检测、辨别或识别测试中，女性通常比男性表现更好。目前尚不清楚女性与男性对嗅觉和三叉神经刺激的适应方式是否不同。17名健康志愿者（9名女性，8名男性，平均年龄22岁）参与了该研究。通过气味识别测试（UPSIT，得分≥38）确定，所有受试者的嗅觉功能均正常。使用计算机控制的嗅觉计（流速8 L/min；刺激持续时间200 ms）记录与嗅觉（25% v/v苯乙醇）和三叉神经（44% v/v CO₂）刺激相关的事件相关电位（ERP）。刺激以四个间隔（5、10、20和60秒）施加。测量ERP峰P1、N1和P2的幅度和潜伏期。刺激强度也由受试者使用视觉模拟量表进行评分。与苯乙醇相比，强度稍高的CO₂产生更大的幅度和更短的潜伏期。评分和ERP幅度P2均随着刺激间隔时间的缩短而降低。对三叉神经和嗅觉刺激的反应在重复刺激方面变化相似。女性的ERP幅度P2更大。在重复刺激幅度方面，未观察到评分和ERP的性别相关差异。尽管与男性相比，女性对化学感觉刺激表现出更大的ERP幅度，但目前的数据表明，在心理物理学和电生理学水平上，年轻健康的男性和女性在对阈上化学感觉刺激的短期适应方面没有重大差异。
