[Inducibility of olfactory sensitivity by odor exposure of persons with specific anosmia]

Abstract

Insensitivity to single odors, called specific anosmia, has been repeatedly reported in the literature. The main question of the present study was whether olfactory sensitivity is inducable in subjects with specific anosmia. For this reason the olfactory sensitivity of women with specific anosmia to the volatile steroid androstenone was investigated by threshold measurements at two times, before and after repeated odor exposure. Androstenone is a compound that contributes to human body odor and is found at a higher concentration in male axillary sweat than in female sweat. The results show that in more than 80% of the odor exposed anosmics olfactory perception of androstenone could be induced.