The study of the odour impact on physiological, emotional, and cognitive aspects of human health under experimental conditions (literature review)

Abstract

The article contains a literature review devoted to research on the influence of odours on physiological, emotional, and cognitive aspects of human health. The following databases were used at literature search execution: Pubmed, Scopus, Web of Science, MedLine, Global Health, Russian Research Citation Index. A total amount of 60 sources was analyzed for 1983-2019. The experimental research results aimed at studying the influence of odours on such physiological indices a: heart rate, heart rate variability, arterial blood pressure, respiratory rate, skin conductibility reaction, sleep, are described, and emotional and cognitive characteristics of the test subjects. The response to odours exposure was shown to depend on their intensity, hedonistic tone, the chemical structure of the odorant, as well as individual peculiarities of the test subjects, including their past experiences with smelling. In most cases, exposure to unpleasant odours activates the sympathetic nervous system, therefore heart rate, respiratory rate, skin blood circulation and its conductivity increase. Attention concentration increases at the deterioration of cognitive functions. Anger and repulsion reactions are noted at the emotional level; a feeling of discomfort with a motivation to escape appears. The exposure of pleasant odours leads to parasympathetic nervous system activation, heart rate, respiratory rate, skin conductibility, and blood circulation decrease. Cognitive functions improve, the quality of problem-solving increases, attention concentration decreases. A person’s mood gets better; the sensation of happiness appears. At that literature analysis has revealed most of the studies on the human to have significant restrictions: standard exposure methods absence, the difficulty of execution blind experiments that were deemed to be ignorant by test subjects as well as the influence of individual preferences and previous personal experience on the effects generated by the odour. The authors proposed recommendations on the current restrictions prevention and optimization of conducting the experimental research on the influence of odours on humans.