jvkohl
10-28-2003, 05:37 AM
Individual Differences in Sensitivity to the Odor of 4,16-Androstadien-3-one
Johan N. Lundström1, Thomas Hummel2
and Mats J. Olsson
Individual differences in sensitivity to the putative human pheromone androstadienone were
investigated in three experiments. In experiment 1, the absolute detection threshold for androstadienone was
determined to be 211 µM using the method of constant stimuli. Detection for the related compound estratetraenol was
also investigated but a threshold could not be determined. In experiment 2, using an adaptive threshold test on 100
participants, the sensitivity distribution for androstadienone, but not for the reference odor phenylethyl alcohol,
was bimodal, with a smaller group of individuals with a high sensitivity to androstadienone (supersmellers). A lack
of correlation between thresholds for androstadienone and phenylethyl alcohol further suggested that the bimodality
for androstadienone was not due to individuals with a high general olfactory sensitivity. In line with an earlier
observation, there was a statistical tendency for women to be more sensitive to androstadienone than men. Results of
experiment 3 preclude the possibility that the bimodal sensitivity distribution for androstadienone would depend on
individual differences in trigeminal activation. Altogether, the current study suggests that olfactory sensitivity
to androstadienone is bimodally distributed in the population with a subgroup consisting of highly sensitive people.
Johan N. Lundström1, Thomas Hummel2
and Mats J. Olsson
Individual differences in sensitivity to the putative human pheromone androstadienone were
investigated in three experiments. In experiment 1, the absolute detection threshold for androstadienone was
determined to be 211 µM using the method of constant stimuli. Detection for the related compound estratetraenol was
also investigated but a threshold could not be determined. In experiment 2, using an adaptive threshold test on 100
participants, the sensitivity distribution for androstadienone, but not for the reference odor phenylethyl alcohol,
was bimodal, with a smaller group of individuals with a high sensitivity to androstadienone (supersmellers). A lack
of correlation between thresholds for androstadienone and phenylethyl alcohol further suggested that the bimodality
for androstadienone was not due to individuals with a high general olfactory sensitivity. In line with an earlier
observation, there was a statistical tendency for women to be more sensitive to androstadienone than men. Results of
experiment 3 preclude the possibility that the bimodal sensitivity distribution for androstadienone would depend on
individual differences in trigeminal activation. Altogether, the current study suggests that olfactory sensitivity
to androstadienone is bimodally distributed in the population with a subgroup consisting of highly sensitive people.