Abstract
In man, cerebral evoked responses to odorous stimuli can be recorded from the scalp. This study investigated whether the odorant evoked response (OER) is due to stimulation of olfactory receptors, or of nasal trigeminal afferents in the nose. OER recording was carried out in two subjects with total facial hemianesthesia, in one subject with unilateral loss of olfaction and in three normal subjects following cocaine block of the olfactory area or block of all nasal mucosa excluding the olfactory area. Stimulation was unilateral. In all subjects normal OERs were recorded to stimulation of the normal nostril. Lack of trigeminal innervation resulted in abolition of the OER, whereas loss of olfactory function usually produced no OER change. The OER as recorded under these experimental conditions thus appears to be evoked solely by stimulation of nasal trigeminal afferents. The problems involved in recording a human olfactory evoked response are discussed.
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