QUANTITATIVE PSYCHOPHYSICAL AND ELECTROPHYSIOLOGICAL DATA ON SOME ODOROUS COMPOUNDS

Drake, B., Johansson, B., von Sydow, E. & Døving, K. B. Quantitative psychophysical and electrophysiological data on some odorous compounds. Scand.J. Psychol., 1969, 10, 89–96.—Magnitude estimations of odor intensity, and electrophysiological responses from frog olfactory epithelia, were obtained for dilution series of 8 odorous compounds. Comparing of data with each other and with known vapor phase concentrations showed relations between pooled psychophysical data and vapor phase concentrations, and between electrophysiological data and vapor phase concentrations, describable by power functions (exponents 0.26–0.50 and 0.18—0.39). There were also high correlations between electrophysiological data and individual as well as pooled psychophysical data. The results give an impression about the feasibility of using a biological detector in gas chromatography. Copyright © 1969, Wiley Blackwell. All rights reserved