Recent advances in the neuropsychology of human olfaction and anosmia. Review uri icon

Overview

abstract

  • Patients' olfactory functioning is rarely considered by rehabilitation specialists because this capacity is seen as unnecessary for most vocational and academic purposes. However, several recent studies have shown that intermittent exposure to fragrances can help subjects sustain attention more efficiently. As this effect is especially pronounced when subjects report attention-maintenance difficulties, accessory olfactory stimulation may enhance the sustained attention capacities of head-injured subjects. Another study is cited in which subjects who lost their sense of smell following head injuries were found to experience more difficulty in maintaining employment. This effect is probably related to orbital lobe damage, which usually accompanies post-traumatic anosmia. The implications of these studies for rehabilitation professionals are discussed.

publication date

  • August 1, 1995

Research

keywords

  • Brain Damage, Chronic
  • Brain Injuries
  • Olfaction Disorders
  • Smell

Identity

Scopus Document Identifier

  • 0029094237

PubMed ID

  • 7581359

Additional Document Info

volume

  • 9

issue

  • 6