OLFACTORY THRESHOLDS FOR ANDROSTENONE AND GALAXOLIDE - SENSITIVITY, INSENSITIVITY AND SPECIFIC ANOSMIA

Odor detection thresholds for Galaxolide and androstenone were determined for 79 subjects via quantitative air dilution olfactometry. The existence of a specific anosmia to each substance was confirmed, as was a male bias in the prevalence of androstenone-specific anosmia. Classification as osmic or anosmic to Galaxolide versus androstenone was significantly associated among women but not men. Thresholds to the odorants were not correlated among dual osmics. Threshold to one odorant was not modulated by anosmia to the other. The results imply that these odorants share a common, sex-modulated mechanism of olfactory information processing, at the level of discontinuous osmic/anosmic classification.