Study of Olfaction / Vision Interactions in Expert and Novice Populations

The aim of this research project is to better understand the reciprocal influence of visual and olfactory systems on cerebral activity evoked by odors and visual stimuli. Given the importance of olfacto-visual learning in expert situations, the degree of expertise in olfaction will also be considered. In addition, the investigators will try to better understand the differences between expert and non-expert populations in olfaction through different levels of approach: sensory, genetic and cerebral. To achieve this, the investigators will use psychophysical tests, genetic analyzes and a non-invasive technique, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to measure the brain activity of human subjects - novices or experts in olfaction - in response to different visual and olfactory stimuli.

Study Overview

• Status: Recruiting
• Conditions: Healthy
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Odor presentation (for participants' perception); Other: Image presentation (for participants' perception)

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Anticipated): 120
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

• Study Contact: Name: Frédéric FAURE, MD; Phone Number: 04 26 29 40 53; Email: famillefaure@bbox.fr
• Study Contact Backup: Name: Moustafa BENSAFI, PhD; Phone Number: 04 37 28 74 97; Email: moustafa.bensafi@cnrs.fr

Study Locations

• France
  • Caluire et Cuire, France, 69300
    • Recruiting
    • Infirmerie Protestante
    • Contact: Frédéric FAURE, MD; Phone Number: 04 26 29 40 53; Email: famillefaure@bbox.fr

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years to 85 years (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: All

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• healthy volunteers
• men and women, aged 18-85 years old
• subjects with social security cover
• expertise in olfaction for half of the subjects (60)

Exclusion Criteria:

• subjects younger than 18 and older than 85
• subjects with contraindications to fMRI, i.e. with pacemaker / insulin pump / metal prosthesis / intracerebral clip / neurosensory stimulator / implantable defibrillator / cochlear implants / ferromagnetic ocular or cerebral foreign body close to the nerve structures / ventriculoperitoneal neurosurgical bypass valves / braces and other non-removable metallic dental device / claustrophobic, non-cooperating or agitated subjects.
• pregnant or breastfeeding women
• subjects with known olfactory disorder
• subjects with known neurological disorder

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Basic Science
• Allocation: Non-Randomized
• Interventional Model: Factorial Assignment
• Masking: None (Open Label)

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Other: Odors (food and non-food); Odorants diluted in mineral oil.	Other: Odor presentation (for participants' perception); Several different odors will be diffused by an olfactometer under the participants' nostrils, though a controlled airflow, and synchronously with the participants' respiration. fMRI designs require repeated stimulus presentation. Odors will also be presented (in flasks or in odor pens) outside the scanner.
Other: Pictures (food and non-food); Pictures of objects or scenes.	Other: Image presentation (for participants' perception); Several different pictures will be displayed in front of the participants' face, though a through a mirror system in the scanner, or on a computer screen outside the scanner.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Brain activity	fMRI 3T scanner in CERMEP imaging center (Bron - see web link at the end of the document), allowing anatomical measures, connectivity between olfactory and other regions (DTI), activation pattern in olfactory and visual areas.	During the 2-hour testing session (one session per participant)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Genotyping	Genotyping from saliva samples by AMIS laboratory or a genotyping platform in Toulouse or Evry (see web links at the end of the document)	Sampling during the 2-hour testing session (one session per participant), analyses within 6 years after sampling
Olfactory abilities	Threshold detection, discrimination between odorants and odor identification, measured with standardized olfactory tests	During the 2-hour testing session (one session per participant)
Perception	Assesment of the perceptual profile of the stimulus on visual analogue scale (verbal report of how the olfactory/visual stimulus is perceived).	During the 2-hour testing session (one session per participant)
Response times	Response time to the olfactory/visual stimulus in millisecond	During the 2-hour testing session (one session per participant)

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Hospices Civils de Lyon
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Frédéric FAURE, MD, Infirmerie Protestante

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): April 15, 2016
• Primary Completion (Anticipated): March 15, 2022
• Study Completion (Anticipated): April 15, 2022

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: February 8, 2017
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 15, 2017
• First Posted (Actual): February 20, 2017

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): July 21, 2021
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: July 20, 2021
• Last Verified: July 1, 2021

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Other Study ID Numbers: 69HCL16_0685

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No