2009/02/01 by Richard L. Doty, Richard Doty · 1 citation
Engineering · Medicine · Neuroscience · Nursing · Psychology · #Advanced Chemical Sensor Technologies #Biochemical Analysis and Sensing Techniques #Cigarette smoke #Disease #Environmental health #Medicine #Neuroscience #Olfaction #Olfactory and Sensory Function Studies #Olfactory system #Palatability #Pathology #Psychiatry #Psychology #Sensory system
paper · pdf · doi:10.1055/s-0028-1124025
crossref issued 2009/02/01 · crossref published 2009/02/01 · crossref published-print 2009/02/01 · openalex publication_date 2009/02/01 · crossref published-online 2009/02/12 · crossref created 2009/02/13 · crossref deposited 2017/05/23 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/04 · crossref indexed 2026/08/06
The sense of smell is greatly underappreciated, despite the fact that it monitors the intake of airborne agents into the human respiratory system and determines to a large degree the flavor and palatability of foods and beverages. In addition to enhancing quality of life, this primary sensory system warns of spoiled foods, leaking natural gas, polluted air and smoke, and mediates basic elements of communication (e.g., mother-infant interactions). It is now apparent that smell dysfunction is among the first clinical signs of such neurodegenerative diseases as Alzheimer's disease and sporadic Parkinson's disease. In this brief article, the author reviews the anatomy and physiology of this primary sensory system, means of assessing its function, and major diseases and disorders with which it is intimately associated.