1991 — 1992 |
Lorig, Tyler S |
R03Activity Code Description: To provide research support specifically limited in time and amount for studies in categorical program areas. Small grants provide flexibility for initiating studies which are generally for preliminary short-term projects and are non-renewable. |
Event-Related Potentials to Odors @ Washington and Lee University
The specific aim of this small grant is to provide a basis for a reliable methodology for the collection and analysis of odor event-related potentials. The new methodology should provide a valuable aid in the diagnosis of a variety of disorders related to olfaction and should help objectively quantify the degree of olfactory impairment in an individual. Such information would also be useful in the identification of individuals malingering olfactory deficits and could help in the differentiation of olfactory from trigeminal impairment. Additionally, it is expected that this technique would provide basic information about central nervous system processing of olfactory stimuli. Such information is essential in understanding the cognitive processing of odor stimuli.
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1997 |
Lorig, Tyler S |
R15Activity Code Description: Supports small-scale research projects at educational institutions that provide baccalaureate or advanced degrees for a significant number of the Nation’s research scientists but that have not been major recipients of NIH support. The goals of the program are to (1) support meritorious research, (2) expose students to research, and (3) strengthen the research environment of the institution. Awards provide limited Direct Costs, plus applicable F&A costs, for periods not to exceed 36 months. This activity code uses multi-year funding authority; however, OER approval is NOT needed prior to an IC using this activity code. |
Indoor Air Odors Effect On Brain and Behavior @ Washington and Lee University
DESCRIPTION: (Adapted from the APPLICANT'S ABSTRACT) Indoor air quality continues to be an area of public concern even after the enactment of legislation restricting smoking and other potentially hazardous practices. Much of the current concern about indoor air is related to odors, and specifically to perfumes, perfumed hygiene products and room "de-odorizers." Legislation was recently introduced in Marin County, California to restrict the use of fragrance products in county buildings. Other public organizations have already restricted fragrance use in buildings (School of Social Work, University of Minnesota) and "artificial odors" are often cited as contributing to or triggering debilitating episodes for sufferers of multiple chemical sensitivity disorder. Despite the public concern for the effects of fragrances, little peer-reviewed scientific evidence exists about the effect of these odors on health, behavior, and self-reports of well-being, and the studies which do address this topic are mixed as to their findings. The proposed research project seeks to evaluate the effects of odorants such as perfumes, room de-odorizers, and food odors on cognitive performance and associated neurophysiological responses. Specifically, the effects of odors will be tested on subjects completing behavioral studies of linguistic processing and spatial processing. Preliminary data suggest that odors differentially affect these tasks. Electrophysiological recordings (event-related potentials) will be made during the linguistic, spatial, and odor stimuli to evaluate the potential neural and attentional mechanisms influenced by the odors. An important feature of this project is the use of auditory and visual stimuli as control conditions. Since any type of stimulus introduced during a cognitive task may impede performance, control stimuli will be introduced in a manner similar to the odor stimuli. This will allow any odor effects on performance and/or electrophysiology to be compared relative to effects in other modalities. The specific aims of this project are 1) to introduce a behavioral/electrophysiological paradigm for the evaluation of potentially distracting odors, 2) to use the paradigm to evaluate typical odors found in room air and quantify their effects on task performance and neurophysiology, and 3) to expand research opportunities for undergraduate students.
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