Importance of retronasal and orthonasal olfaction for odor aversion memory in rats.

Julie Chapuis, Belkacem Messaoudi, Guillaume Ferreira, Nadine Ravel
Behavioral Neuroscience. 2007-01-01; 121(6): 1383-1392
DOI: 10.1037/0735-7044.121.6.1383

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1. Behav Neurosci. 2007 Dec;121(6):1383-92.

Importance of retronasal and orthonasal olfaction for odor aversion memory in
rats.

Chapuis J(1), Messaoudi B, Ferreira G, Ravel N.

Author information:
(1)Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR 5020, Neurosciences
Sensorielles, Comportement, Cognition, Lyon, France.

The role of odors in food memory formation, especially for aversions, has long
been considered secondary to taste. However, the importance of odor ingestion in
conditioned odor aversion (COA) has recently challenged this assumption (B. M.
Slotnick, F. Westbrook, & F. M. C. Darling, 1997). The aim of the present study
was to evaluate the respective role of orthonasal and retronasal olfactory
experience in COA acquisition, long-term retention, extinction, and spontaneous
recovery. To this end, the odor was presented either close to the drinking spout
(orthonasal stimulation) or close to and mixed with the drinking water (eliciting
both orthonasal and retronasal stimulation). The authors brought evidence that
odor ingestion was crucial for COA acquisition, especially when odor presentation
and gastric malaise were separated by long delays. On the contrary, once formed,
a distal (orthonasal) odor recognition was sufficient for COA to be retrieved.
COA was odor specific and long lasting (more than 50 days). Moreover, results
brought evidence for a spontaneous recovery of odor aversion tested 57 days after
its extinction.

DOI: 10.1037/0735-7044.121.6.1383
PMID: 18085892 [Indexed for MEDLINE]

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