Attention and Olfactory Consciousness

Frontiers in Psychology

Andreas Keller¹ 

关键词: olfaction;    attention;    consciousness;    odor;    orbitofrontal cortex;    piriform cortex;   

DOI  :  10.3389/fpsyg.2011.00380

学科分类：心理学（综合）

来源: Frontiers

【 摘 要 】

Understanding the relation between attention and consciousness is an important part of our understanding of consciousness. Attention, unlike consciousness, can be systematically manipulated in psychophysical experiments and a law-like relation between attention and consciousness is waiting to be discovered. Most attempts to discover the nature of this relation are focused on a special type of attention: spatial visual attention. In this review I want to introduce another type of attention to the discussion: attention to the olfactory modality. I will first clarify the position of attention to smells in a general taxonomy of attention. I will then review the mechanisms and neuroanatomy of attention and consciousness in the olfactory system before using the newly introduced system to provide evidence that attention is necessary for consciousness.

【 授权许可】

CC BY