Abstract
Central neural integration of sensory input from different modalities is a prerequisite for many types of perception and behavior. One of the best examples of such an integrative process may be flavor perception, whereby activation in two peripherally distinct neural systems, olfaction and gustation, combines to give rise to a unified oral sensation. Here we used a psychophysical method to show cross-modal summation of subthreshold concentrations of selected gustatory and olfactory stimuli, thus demonstrating that central neural integration of taste and smell inputs generates a representation of flavor perception.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 12 print issues and online access
$209.00 per year
only $17.42 per issue
Rent or buy this article
Prices vary by article type
from$1.95
to$39.95
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Gielen, S. C., Schmidt, R. A. & Van Der Heuvel, P. J. Percept. Psychophys. 34, 161–168 (1983).
Wallace, M. T., Wilkinson, L. K. & Stein, B. E. J. Neurophysiol. 76, 1246–1266 (1996).
Sparks, D. L. & Groh, J. M. in The Cognitive Neurosciences (ed. Gazzaniga, M. S.) 565–584 (MIT Press, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1995).
Stevens, J. C. Physiol. Behav. 62, 1137–1143 (1997).
Guadagni, D. G., Buttery, R. G., Okano, S. & Burr, H. K. Nature 200, 1288–1289 (1963).
Murphy, C., Cain, W. S. & Bartoshuk, L. M. Sens. Process. 1, 204–211 (1977).
Wetherill, G. B. & Levitt, H. Br. J. Math. Stat. Psychol. 18, 1–10 (1965).
Frank, R. A. & Byran, J. Chem. Senses 13, 445–455 (1988).
Schifferstein, H. N. & Verlegh, P. W. Acta Psychol. 94, 87–105 (1996).
Fowler, C. A. & Dekle, J. A. J. Exp. Psychol. Hum. Percept. Perform. 17, 816–828 (1991).
Krushel, L. A. & van der Kooy, D. J. Comp. Neurol. 270, 39–54 (1988).
Rolls, E. T. & Baylis, L. L. J. Neurosci. 14, 5437–5452 (1994).
Whalen, P. J. Curr. Dir. Psychol. Sci. 7, 177–188 (1998).
Schul, R., Slotnick, B. M. & Dudai, Y. Behav. Neurosci. 110, 760–765 (1996).
Kapp, B. S., Whalen, P. J., Supple, W. F. & Pascoe, J. P. in The Amygdala: Neurobiological Aspects of Emotion, Memory and Mental Dysfunction (ed. Aggleton, J. P.) 229–254 (Wiley-Liss, New York, 1992).
Acknowledgements
This work was supported by NIH grants RO1-DC03704 (P.D.) and R29-DC02995 (P.B.). We thank Ines Rodriguez for assistance with data collection.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Dalton, P., Doolittle, N., Nagata, H. et al. The merging of the senses: integration of subthreshold taste and smell. Nat Neurosci 3, 431–432 (2000). https://doi.org/10.1038/74797
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/74797
This article is cited by
-
The Association Between Neurocognitive Disorders and Gustatory Dysfunction: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Neuropsychology Review (2024)
-
Mammalian-brain-inspired neuromorphic motion-cognition nerve achieves cross-modal perceptual enhancement
Nature Communications (2023)
-
How to Manage Taste Disorders
Current Otorhinolaryngology Reports (2022)
-
Auditory input enhances somatosensory encoding and tactile goal-directed behavior
Nature Communications (2021)
-
Context Effect on Temporal Resolution of Olfactory–Gustatory, Visual–Gustatory, and Olfactory–Visual Synchrony Perception
Chemosensory Perception (2021)