2009 Abstracts - Association for Chemoreception Sciences

taller compared to wild-type mice. Fungiform taste bud size andpapillae number are also significantly higher in high BDNFexpressing transgenic mice compared to wild-type mice. We arecurrently performing microarray analysis to examine geneexpression profile in Gust-BDNF mice.#P288 Poster session VI: Chemosensory developmentand Psychophysics IDreams and Smell - The Impact of Nocturnal OlfactoryStimulation on DreamsBoris A. Stuck 1 , Desislava Atanasova 1,2 , Michael Schredl 21Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck SurgeryMannheim, Germany, 2 Central Institute of Mental HealthMannheim, GermanyOnly a limited number of trials is available regarding the impactof external stimulation on dreams. An incorporation of stimuliinto dreams is depending on the intensity and significance of thestimulus. Olfactory stimuli have hardly been investigated in thiscontext. Aim of the study was to assess whether olfactory stimuliare incorporated into dreams and whether they influence dreamemotions. 15 female volunteers were investigated during 30 nights(first night for adaptation). Standardized awakenings wereperformed during REM sleep under constant monitoring of sleepstages. Subjects were exposed to non-odorous control, a positive(PEA, 20%) and a negative odor (H2S, 4 ppm) for 10 secondseach during REM sleep in a randomized fashion via a computerolfactometer. After awakening, subjects were advised to reportdream content in a standardized fashion and to rate dreamemotions (positive and negative) on a four digit scale (0 to 3: no tostrong feelings). Dreams were analyzed by an independentinvestigator for potential incorporations. The overall emotionalcoloration was calculated. Direct incorporation was detected inone dream only (neutral condition), indirect incorporation(contents associated with smelling) was detected in four dreamswithout relation to stimulus condition. Mean emotionalcoloration after control stimulation was slightly positive (+0.5).After negative stimulation, it was shifted to negative values (-0.4)while the mean emotional coloration was more positive afterpositive stimulation (+1.2), the difference reaching statisticalsignificance. With olfactory stimulation direct incorporation ofolfactory stimuli into dreams does not seem to appear. In contrast,the emotional coloration of dreams can be significantly influencedaccording to the hedonic aspect of the stimulus.#P289 Poster session VI: Chemosensory developmentand Psychophysics IEffects of Septoplasty — A Pre- and Postoperative Studyon Trigeminal Sensitivity and Olfactory PerformanceBenno Schuster 1 , Stefanie Schulze 1 , Christian A. Mueller 21Smell & Taste Clinic, Dept. of ORL, University of DresdenMedical School Dresden, Germany, 2 Dept. of ORL, MedicalUniversity of Vienna Vienna, AustriaSurgery of the nose may have an impact on olfactory performanceand trigeminal sensitivity. Aim of the present study was toinvestigate the actual extent of these effects in clinical practice.Normosmic healthy subjects (n=43) and patients who underwentseptoplasty (n=38) were tested immediately before and up to threemonths after surgery, this interval was matched in the controlgroup. In both sessions olfactory performance and trigeminalsensitivity were assessed using electrophysiological (event-relatedpotentials [oERP], [tERP], stimuli: H 2 S and CO 2 ) as well aspsychophysical methods (odor identification test, CO 2 detectionthreshold, CO 2 pain threshold, detection of stimulus duration forCO 2 ). Ability to identify odors was superior in the control group(p=0.026). There was no significant group effect regarding oERP,furthermore no interaction “pre/post” * “group“ (p=0.60).Concerning trigeminal detection threshold and pain threshold nodifferences were observed among groups. In addition, a relativedecrease in N1 amplitudes (p=0.004) combined with a relativeincrease in P2 latencies (p=0.088) was present in the patient groupafter septoplasty. However, no significant difference between thefirst and second session could be detected. Trigeminal sensitivitydoes not seem to differ among the more and less obstructed sideof nose. Furthermore the results give reason to presume that thereis a difference in trigeminal sensitivity between patients andcontrols. Even though septoplasty is a matter of massivemanipulation of nasal mucosa, these findings indicate no majoreffect of surgery on olfactory performance or intranasaltrigeminal sensitivity.#P290 Poster session VI: Chemosensory developmentand Psychophysics IPutative Human Pheromones Increase Women’s ObservedFlirtatious Behaviors and Ratings of AttractionJames V. Kohl 1 , Linda C. Kelahan 2 , Heather Hoffmann 21Stone Independent Research, Inc. Phoenix, NY, USA,2Knox College Galesburg, IL, USAMammalian conditioning paradigms suggest that androstenolconditions hormonal effects in women that are unconsciouslyassociated with the potential behavioral affects of androsterone.We evaluated individual video-taped fifteen-minute interactionsfourteen ovulatory-phase women during a cooperative task.During the task, our male accomplice wore either a standardizedandrostenol / androsterone mixture diluted in propylene glycol,or he wore the diluent (i.e., propylene glycol). Sandalwood odorwas added to the mixture and to the propylene glycol to keep ouraccomplice blind to his condition. Women were more likely todisplay flirtatious behaviors when our accomplice was wearing themixture than when he wore the diluent (t(12) = 4.38, p