Pamela Dalton

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Pamela Dalton is a cognitive psychologist. She has a Ph.D. in experimental psychology and a Masters in Public Health. Dalton is frequently quoted by the popular press as an authority on environmental odors. [1] She has done extensive research in the fields of sick building syndrome and multiple chemical sensitivity. [2] [3] [4] In the past she has worked with the United States Department of Defense on nonlethal weapons development, or the enhancement of bad odors as weapons. [5] [6] [7] She currently works at the Monell Chemical Senses Center. [8]

Contents

NIH Toolbox

Dalton was a contributor to the NIH Toolbox for the Assessment of Neurological and Behavioral Function, as a member of the NIH Toolbox steering committee and the Olfaction team, developing the NIH Toolbox Odor Identification Test. [9] [10] The contract for the NIH Toolbox for the Assessment of Neurological and Behavioral Function was initiated by the NIH Blueprint for Neuroscience Research in 2006 to develop a set of state-of-the-art measurement tools to enhance collection of data in large cohort studies in biomedical research. [11] [12]

PTSD

Dalton has extensively researched the relationship between smell and negative memories. She has conducted experiments showing that a strong odourant can turn even a mundane experience into a vivid and permanent memory. This research has important implications for studying and treating PTSD. [8]

Dalton continued this line of research in order to determine if it is possible to inoculate people with certain odors in order to prevent the formation of traumatic memories. She found that if you first exposed someone to a strong odor in a non-threatening environment and then exposed them to the same odor in a stressful, negative context there was no association between the smell and the negative memory. [8]

Dalton's research led to the United States military changing how it trains soldiers. Mock combat environments used for training exercises now include olfactory cues designed to mimic smells like dead bodies, open sewers, melting plastic, etc. [8]

Stink bomb

Dalton was asked by the United States military to design a "stink bomb" in 1998. Dalton discovered that culture and geography mediate the sense of smell. Despite this problem, she eventually discovered a universally hated smell and packaged it as "Stink Soup." [13]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Olfactory bulb</span> Neural structure

The olfactory bulb is a neural structure of the vertebrate forebrain involved in olfaction, the sense of smell. It sends olfactory information to be further processed in the amygdala, the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and the hippocampus where it plays a role in emotion, memory and learning. The bulb is divided into two distinct structures: the main olfactory bulb and the accessory olfactory bulb. The main olfactory bulb connects to the amygdala via the piriform cortex of the primary olfactory cortex and directly projects from the main olfactory bulb to specific amygdala areas. The accessory olfactory bulb resides on the dorsal-posterior region of the main olfactory bulb and forms a parallel pathway. Destruction of the olfactory bulb results in ipsilateral anosmia, while irritative lesions of the uncus can result in olfactory and gustatory hallucinations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Olfactory system</span> Sensory system used for smelling

The olfactory system, or sense of smell, is the sensory system used for smelling (olfaction). Olfaction is one of the special senses, that have directly associated specific organs. Most mammals and reptiles have a main olfactory system and an accessory olfactory system. The main olfactory system detects airborne substances, while the accessory system senses fluid-phase stimuli.

Richard L. Doty is a professor of psychology and otorhinolaryngology at the University of Pennsylvania. He has also been the director of the University of Pennsylvania's Smell and Taste Center since 1980.

Aromachology is the study of the influence of odors on human behavior and to examine the relationship between feelings and emotions. Those who practice aromachology are aromachologists. Aromachologists analyze emotions such as relaxation, exhilaration, sensuality, happiness and well-being brought about by odors stimulating the olfactory pathways in the brain and, in particular, the limbic system. Different wearers are thought to have unique physiological and psychological responses to scents, especially those not manufactured synthetically but based on real scents. The word "aromachology" is derived from "aroma" and "physio-psychology", the latter being the study of aroma. This term was coined in 1989 by what is now the Sense of Smell Institute (SSI), a division of The Fragrance Foundation. The SSI defines aromachology as "a concept based on systematic, scientific data collected under controlled conditions". The term is defined as the scientifically observable influence of smell on emotions and moods. Consumers use aromachology to alleviate time pressures, for relaxation or stimulation and as a component of other activities that generate a feeling of well-being.

Phantosmia, also called an olfactory hallucination or a phantom odor, is smelling an odor that is not actually there. This is intrinsically suspicious as the formal evaluation and detection of relatively low levels of odour particles is itself a very tricky task in air epistemology. It can occur in one nostril or both. Unpleasant phantosmia, cacosmia, is more common and is often described as smelling something that is burned, foul, spoiled, or rotten. Experiencing occasional phantom smells is normal and usually goes away on its own in time. When hallucinations of this type do not seem to go away or when they keep coming back, it can be very upsetting and can disrupt an individual's quality of life.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monell Chemical Senses Center</span>

The Monell Chemical Senses Center is a non-profit independent scientific institute located at the University City Science Center campus in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Monell conducts and publishes interdisciplinary basic research on taste, smell, and chemesthesis.

Jacob Steiner is a professor at Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and a researcher of the physiology of the senses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rachel Sarah Herz</span> American-Canadian psychologist

Rachel Sarah Herz is a Canadian and American psychologist and cognitive neuroscientist, recognized for her research on the psychology of smell.

Danielle Renee Reed is an American geneticist employed at the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She is most notable for her papers regarding genetic variation in taste and obesity in mice and humans.

Dr. Gary K. Beauchamp was the director and president of the Monell Chemical Senses Center from August 1990 to September 2014.

George Preti was an analytical organic chemist who worked at the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. For more than four decades, his research focused on the nature, origin, and functional significance of human odors. Dr. Preti's laboratory has identified characteristic underarm odorants, and his later studies centered upon a bioassay-guided approach to the identification of human pheromones, odors diagnostic of human disease, human malodor identification and suppression and examining the “odor-print” of humans.

Julie Mennella is a biopsychologist specializing in the development of food and flavor preferences in humans and the effects of alcohol and tobacco on women's health and infant development. She currently works at the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia, PA.

Dr. Johan N. Lundström is a Swedish biologist and psychologist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Odor</span> Volatile chemical compounds perceived by the sense of smell

An odor or odour is caused by one or more volatilized chemical compounds that are generally found in low concentrations that humans and many animals can perceive via their sense of smell. An odor is also called a "smell" or a "scent", which can refer to either an unpleasant or a pleasant odor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sense of smell</span> Sense that detects smells

The sense of smell, or olfaction, is the special sense through which smells are perceived. The sense of smell has many functions, including detecting desirable foods, hazards, and pheromones, and plays a role in taste.

Olfactory memory refers to the recollection of odors. Studies have found various characteristics of common memories of odor memory including persistence and high resistance to interference. Explicit memory is typically the form focused on in the studies of olfactory memory, though implicit forms of memory certainly supply distinct contributions to the understanding of odors and memories of them. Research has demonstrated that the changes to the olfactory bulb and main olfactory system following birth are extremely important and influential for maternal behavior. Mammalian olfactory cues play an important role in the coordination of the mother infant bond, and the following normal development of the offspring. Maternal breast odors are individually distinctive, and provide a basis for recognition of the mother by her offspring.

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The NIH Toolbox®, for the assessment of neurological and behavioral function, is a multidimensional set of brief royalty-free measures that researchers and clinicians can use to assess cognitive, sensory, motor and emotional function in people ages 3–85. This suite of measures can be administered to study participants in two hours or less, in a variety of settings, with a particular emphasis on measuring outcomes in longitudinal epidemiologic studies and prevention or intervention trials. The battery has been normed and validated across the lifespan in subjects age 3-85 and its use ensures that assessment methods and results can be used for comparisons across existing and future studies. The NIH Toolbox is capable of monitoring neurological and behavioral function over time, and measuring key constructs across developmental stages.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christiane Linster</span> Luxembourg-born behavioral neuroscientist

Christiane Linster is a Luxembourg-born behavioral neuroscientist and a professor in the Department of Neurobiology and Behavior at Cornell University. Her work focuses on neuromodulation along with learning and memory, using the olfactory system of rodents as a model. Her lab integrates behavioral, electrophysiological, and computational work. Linster was the founding President of the Organization for Computational Neurosciences (OCNS), which was created to coordinate and lead the annual meeting of aspiring and senior computational neuroscientists. Linster served as president of the OCNS from 2003 until 2005 when she was replaced by her successor Ranu Jung.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Olfactic communication</span> Social interaction through smell

Olfactic communication is a channel of nonverbal communication referring to the various ways people and animals communicate and engage in social interaction through their sense of smell. Our human olfactory sense is one of the most phylogenetically primitive and emotionally intimate of the five senses; the sensation of smell is thought to be the most matured and developed human sense.

References

  1. ↑ Szabo, Julia (2001-04-01). "THE HOME FRONT; A Nose With An Eye". The New York Times. Retrieved 2010-05-21.
  2. ↑ Dalton, Pamela (1996), Odor Perception and Beliefs about Risk, Monell Chemical Senses Center: Chemical Senses, archived from the original on 2013-04-15
  3. ↑ Dalton, Pamela; Doolittle, Nadine (2002), "Gender-specific induction of enhanced sensitivity to odors", Nature Neuroscience, Monell Chemical Senses Center, 5 (3): 199–200, doi:10.1038/nn803, PMID   11865309, S2CID   9432467, archived from the original on May 25, 2011
  4. ↑ Bouchez, Colette, Fragrance Allergies: A Sensory Assault , retrieved 2008-08-06
  5. ↑ Kahn, Jennifer (May 22, 2001), "Aroma Therapy: In The Military, It's Known As 'Nonlethal Weapons Development'", The San Francisco Chronicle, retrieved 2008-08-06
  6. ↑ "Stench warfare". www.scienceblog.com. Archived from the original on 2005-04-11.
  7. ↑ Schopen, Fay (2008-06-11), Pamela Dalton - creator of the world's nastiest smell, London: Times Online, retrieved 2008-08-09
  8. 1 2 3 4 Friedlander, Beau. "A Brief History of Scent". Harper's Magazine. No. August 2013. Retrieved 8 December 2019.
  9. ↑ Dalton P, Mennella JA, Cowart BJ, Maute C, Pribitkin EA, Reilly JS. Evaluating the Prevalence of Olfactory Dysfunction in a Pediatric Population. Ann. N. Y. Acad. Sci. 2009;1170(1):537-542.
  10. ↑ Dalton P, Mennella JA, Maute C, Castor SM, Silva-Garcia A, Slotkin J. Development of a test to evaluate olfactory function in a pediatric population. Laryngoscope. 2011;121(9):1843-1850.
  11. ↑ National Institutes of Health.NIH Toolbox is open. A new set of tools to help scientists measure the ways we think, move, feel and sense the world is ready for use in studies.... NIH Record newsletter, October 26th 2012
  12. ↑ Talan, Jamie. New NIH Toolbox Rolled Out for Standardized Behavioral and Clinical Assessment Measures.Neurology Today. 2012; 12(21):7
  13. ↑ Munroe, Randall (26 February 2020). "What's the World's Worst Smell?". The New York Times.
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