olfactorygustatory

Olfactorygustatory is a term used to describe the integrated sensory experience of smell and taste that forms the perception of flavor. It emphasizes that flavor is not simply taste or smell in isolation but a combined percept produced by the brain’s multisensory integration of gustatory and olfactory inputs. Olfactory input can be orthonasal (through the nostrils) or retronasal (from the mouth during chewing or swallowing). Retronasal olfaction is particularly important for flavor, as volatile compounds released in the mouth reach the olfactory epithelium via the pharynx.

Neural basis: gustatory signals are carried by cranial nerves VII, IX, and X to the brainstem and thalamus; olfactory signals project to the olfactory bulb and then to higher cortical areas. The orbitofrontal cortex is a key site for integration, linking taste quality and aroma to produce unified flavor. Other regions such as the insula contribute to the reward and memory aspects of flavor.

Clinical relevance: impairments in olfactorygustatory processing occur with anosmia, ageusia, sinus disease, upper respiratory infections, and COVID-19; these conditions can lead to reduced flavor perception and altered appetite. Conversely, enhancing olfactory input can augment flavor in foods and beverages.

Measurement and research: studies use psychophysical taste tests, olfactometry, and retronasal olfactometry; functional imaging shows orbitofrontal cortex involvement; computational models describe multisensory integration.

See also: flavor, multisensory integration, retronasal olfaction.