The smell of age: Perception and discrimination of body odors of different ages

PLoS ONE

Volumn 7, Issue 5, 2012, Pages

  Mitro, Susanna ^a,b   Gordon, Amy R ^a,c   Olsson, Mats J ^c   Lundström, Johan N ^a,c,d  

^a MONELL CHEMICAL SENSES CENTER   (United States)

^b SWARTHMORE COLLEGE   (United States)

^c KAROLINSKA INSTITUTE   (Sweden)

^d UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA   (United States)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

ADULT; AGE; AGE DETERMINATION; ARTICLE; CONTROLLED STUDY; FEMALE; HUMAN; HUMAN EXPERIMENT; MALE; MIDDLE AGED; NORMAL HUMAN; ODOR; OLFACTOMETER; OLFACTORY DISCRIMINATION; SENESCENCE; SEX DIFFERENCE; SMELLING; TASK PERFORMANCE; AGED; AGING; METABOLISM; PERCEPTION; PERCEPTIVE DISCRIMINATION;

ANIMALIA;

ADULT; AGED; AGED, 80 AND OVER; AGING; DISCRIMINATION (PSYCHOLOGY); FEMALE; HUMANS; MALE; MIDDLE AGED; ODORS; PERCEPTION; YOUNG ADULT;

EID: 84861589662     PISSN: None     EISSN: 19326203     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0038110     Document Type: Article

References (53)

1. Labows JN, Reilly JT, Leyden JJ, Preti G, (1999) Axillary Odor Determination, Formation and Control. In: Laden K, editors. Antiperspirants and Deodorants 2 ed. New York Marcel Dekker Inc pp. 59-82.
2. Yamazaki K, Beauchamp GK, (2007) Genetic basis for MHC-dependent mate choice. Adv Genet 59: 129-145.
3. Wedekind C, Seebeck T, Bettens F, Paepke AJ, (1995) MHC-dependent mate preferences in humans. Proc R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 260: 245-249.
4. Lundstrom JN, Jones-Gotman M, (2009) Romantic love modulates women's identification of men's body odors. Horm Behav 55: 280-284.
5. Penn D, Potts W, (1998) MHC-disassortative mating preferences reversed by cross-fostering. Proc R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 265: 1299-1306.
6. Lundstrom JN, Boyle JA, Zatorre RJ, Jones-Gotman M, (2008) Functional neuronal processing of body odors differs from that of similar common odors. Cereb Cortex 18: 1466-1474.
7. Olsson S, Barnard J, Turri L, (2006) Olfaction and Identification of Unrelated Individuals: Examination of the Mysteries of Human Odor Recognition. Journal of Chemical Ecology 32: 1635-1645.
8. Bonadonna F, Miguel E, Grosbois V, Jouventin P, Bessiere JM, (2007) Individual odor recognition in birds: an endogenous olfactory signature on petrels' feathers? J Chem Ecol 33: 1819-1829.
9. Hepper PG, Wells DL, (2010) Individually identifiable body odors are produced by the gorilla and discriminated by humans. Chem Senses 35: 263-268.
10. Beauchamp GK, Yamazaki K, (2003) Chemical signalling in mice. Biochem Soc Trans 31: 147-151.
11. Eggert F, Muller-Ruchholtz W, Ferstl R, (1998) Olfactory cues associated with the major histocompatibility complex. Genetica 104: 191-197.
12. Mateo JM, Johnston RE, (2000) Kin recognition and the 'armpit effect': evidence of self-referent phenotype matching. Proc R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 267: 695-700.
13. Yamazaki K, Beauchamp GK, Curran M, Bard J, Boyse EA, (2000) Parent-progeny recognition as a function of MHC odortype identity. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 97: 10500-10502.
14. Lundstrom JN, Boyle JA, Zatorre RJ, Jones-Gotman M, (2009) The Neuronal Substrates of Human Olfactory Based Kin Recognition. Hum Brain Mapp 30: 2571-2580.
15. Porter RH, Moore JD, (1981) Human kin recognition by olfactory cues. Physiol Behav 27: 493-495.
16. Baum MJ, Erskine MS, Kornberg E, Weaver CE, (1990) Prenatal and neonatal testosterone exposure interact to affect differentiation of sexual behavior and partner preference in female ferrets. Behav Neurosci 104: 183-198.
17. Sergeant MJ, Dickins TE, Davies NO, Griffiths MD, (2007) Women's Hedonic Ratings of Body Odor of Heterosexual and Homosexual Men. Archives of Sexual Behavior 36: 395-401.
18. Lundstrom JN, Olsson MJ, (2010) Functional neuronal processing of human body odors. Vitam Horm 83: 1-23.
19. Robinson AB, Dirren H, Sheets A, (1976) Quantitative aging pattern in mouse urine vapor as measured by gas-liquid chromatography. Exp Gerontol 11: 11-16.
20. Osada K, Yamazaki K, Curran M, Bard J, Smith BP, et al. (2003) The scent of age. Proc Biol Sci 270: 929-933.
21. Osada K, Tashiro T, Mori K, Izumi H, (2008) The identification of attractive volatiles in aged male mouse urine. Chem Senses 33: 815-823.
22. Muller-Schwarze D, (1971) Pheromones in black-tailed deer (Odocoileus heminonus columbianus). Anim Behav 19: 141-152.
23. Goodrich BS, Mykytowycz R, (1972) Individual and sex differences in the chemical composition of pheromone-like substances from the skin glands of the rabbit, Oryctolagus cuniculus. J Mammal 53: 540-548.
24. Kean EF, Muller CT, Chadwick EA, (2011) Otter scent signals age, sex, and reproductive status. Chem Senses 36: 555-564.
25. Macdonald EA, Fernandez-Duque E, Evans S, Hagey LR, (2008) Sex, age, and family differences in the chemical composition of owl monkey (Aotus nancymaae) subcaudal scent secretions. Am J Primatol 70: 12-18.
26. Havlicek J, Lenochova P, (2006) The effect of meat consumption on body odor attractiveness. Chem Senses 31: 747-752.
27. Wysocki CJ, Preti G, (2000) Human body odors and their perception. Japanese Journal of Taste and Smell 7: 19-42.
28. Schaal B, Porter RH, (1991) "Microsmatic Humans" Revisited: The Generation and Perception of Chemical Signals. In: Slater PJ, Rosenblatt JS, Beer C, Milinski M, editors. Advances in The Study of Behavior Sand Diego Academic Press pp. 135-199.
29. Gower DB, Ruparelia BA, (1993) Olfaction in humans with special reference to odorous 16-androstenes: their occurrence, perception and possible social, psychological and sexual impact. J Endocrinol 137: 167-187.
30. Pochi PE, Strauss JS, Downing DT, (1979) Age-related changes in sebaceous gland activity. J Invest Dermatol 73: 108-111.
31. Nazzaro-Porro M, Passi S, Boniforti L, Belsito F, (1979) Effects of aging on fatty acids in skin surface lipids. J Invest Dermatol 73: 112-117.
32. Haze S, Gozu Y, Nakamura S, Kohno Y, Sawano K, et al. (2001) 2-Nonenal newly found in human body odor tends to increase with aging. J Invest Dermatol 116: 520-524.
33. Gallagher M, Wysocki CJ, Leyden JJ, Spielman AI, Sun X, et al. (2008) Analyses of volatile organic compounds from human skin. Br J Dermatol 159: 780-791.
34. Aitken RC, (1969) Measurement of feelings using visual analogue scales. Proc R Soc Med 62: 989-993.
35. Green BG, Dalton P, Cowart B, Shaffer G, Rankin K, et al. (1996) Evaluating the 'Labeled Magnitude Scale' for measuring sensations of taste and smell. Chem Senses 21: 323-334.
36. Rosner B, (1983) Percentage Points for a Generalized ESD Many-Outlier Procedure. Technometrics 25: 165-172.
37. Pierman S, Douhard Q, Balthazart J, Baum MJ, Bakker J, (2006) Attraction thresholds and sex discrimination of urinary odorants in male and female aromatase knockout (ArKO) mice. Horm Behav 49: 96-104.
38. Doty RL, Orndorff MM, Leyden J, Kligman A, (1978) Communication of gender from human axillary odors: Relationship to perceived intensity and hedonicity. Behavioral Biology 23: 373-380.
39. Hold B, Schleidt M, (1977) The importance of human odour in non-verbal communication. Z Tierpsychol 43: 225-238.
40. Russell MJ, (1976) Human Olfactory Communication. Nature 260: 520-522.
41. Wallace P, (1977) Individual discrimination of humans by odor. Physiol Behav 19: 577-579.
42. Doty RL, Green PA, Ram C, Yankell SL, (1982) Communication of gender from human breath odors: Relationship to perceived intensity and pleasantness. Hormones and Behavior 16: 13-22.
43. Djordjevic J, Lundstrom JN, Clement F, Boyle JA, Pouliot S, et al. (2008) A rose by any other name: would it smell as sweet? J Neurophysiol 99: 386-393.
44. Brooks R, Kemp DJ, (2001) Can older males deliver the good genes? Trends Ecol Evol 16: 308-313.
45. Nieberding CM, Fischer K, Saastamoinen M, Allen CE, Wallin EA, et al. (2012) Cracking the olfactory code of a butterfly: the scent of ageing. Ecol Lett.
46. Olsen RL, Little C, (1983) Purification and some properties of myeloperoxidase and eosinophil peroxidase from human blood. Biochem J 209: 781-787.
47. Hummel T, Kobal G, Gudziol H, Mackay-Sim A, (2007) Normative data for the "Sniffin' Sticks" including tests of odor identification, odor discrimination, and olfactory thresholds: an upgrade based on a group of more than 3,000 subjects. Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol 264: 237-243.
48. Martins Y, Preti G, Crabtree CR, Runyan T, Vainius AA, et al. (2005) Preference for human body odors is influenced by gender and sexual orientation. Psychol Sci 16: 694-701.
49. Lundstrom JN, McClintock MK, Olsson MJ, (2006) Effects of reproductive state on olfactory sensitivity suggests odor specificity. Biological Psychology 71: 244-247.
50. Lundstrom JN, Boyle JA, Zatorre RJ, Jones-Gotman M, (2008) Functional Neuronal Processing of Body Odors Differ From That of Similar Common Odors. Cereb Cortex 18: 1466-1474.
51. Lenochova P, Roberts SC, Havlicek J, (2008) Methods of Human Body Odor Sampling: The Effect of Freezing. Chem Senses.
52. Lundstrom JN, Goncalves M, Esteves F, Olsson MJ, (2003) Psychological effects of subthreshold exposure to the putative human pheromone 4,16-androstadien-3-one. Horm Behav 44: 395-401.
53. Lundstrom JN, Olsson MJ, (2005) Subthreshold amounts of social odorant affect mood, but not behavior, in heterosexual women when tested by a male, but not a female, experimenter. Biological psychology 70: 197-204.