Congruent visual cues augment sensitivity to brief olfactory presentations and habituation of odor perception is modulated by central-cognitive processing including context. However, it is not known whether habituation to odors could interact with cross-modal congruent stimuli. The present research investigated the effect of visual congruence on odor detection sensitivity during continuous odor exposures. We utilized a multimethod approach, including subjective behavioral responses and reaction times (RTs; study 1) and electroencephalography (EEG, study 2). Study 1: 25 participants received 2-min presentations of moderate-intensity floral odor delivered via olfactometer with congruent (flower) and incongruent (object) image presentations. Participants indicated odor perception after each image. Detection sensitivity and RTs were analyzed in epochs covering the period of habituation. Study 2: 25 new participants underwent EEG recordings during 145-s blocks of odor presentations with congruent or incongruent images. Participants passively observed images and intermittently rated the perceived intensity of odor. Event-related potential analysis was utilized to evaluate brain processing related to odor-visual pairs across the period of habituation. Odor detection sensitivity and RTs were improved by congruent visual cues. Results highlighted a diminishing influence of visual congruence on odor detection sensitivity as habituation occurred. Event-related potential analysis revealed an effect of congruency on electrophysiological processing in the N400 component. This was only evident in early periods of odor exposure when perception was strong. For the first time, this demonstrates the modulation of central processing of odor-visual pairs by habituation. Frontal negativity (N400) responses encode the aspects of cross-modal congruence for odor-vision cross-modal tasks.

中文翻译：

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视觉一致性对长期气味习惯期间嗅觉敏感性影响的行为和电生理研究。

一致的视觉线索增强了对简短嗅觉表现的敏感性，气味感知的习惯由包括上下文在内的中枢认知处理调节。然而，尚不清楚对气味的习惯是否会与跨模式一致刺激相互作用。本研究调查了视觉一致性对持续气味暴露期间气味检测灵敏度的影响。我们使用了一种多方法方法，包括主观行为反应和反应时间（RT；研究 1）和脑电图（EEG，研究 2）。研究 1： 25 名参与者通过嗅觉计接收了 2 分钟的中等强度花香气味，并带有一致（花）和不一致（物体）图像演示。参与者在每张图像后表示气味感知。检测灵敏度和 RT 在涵盖适应期的各个时期进行了分析。研究 2：25 名新参与者在 145 秒的气味呈现块中进行了脑电图记录，并带有一致或不一致的图像。参与者被动地观察图像并间歇性地评价气味的感知强度。事件相关电位分析被用来评估在整个习惯期间与气味-视觉对相关的大脑处理。通过一致的视觉线索提高了气味检测灵敏度和 RT。结果表明，随着习惯的发生，视觉一致性对气味检测灵敏度的影响逐渐减弱。事件相关电位分析揭示了一致性对 N400 组件中电生理处理的影响。这仅在嗅觉强烈时暴露在气味的早期阶段才明显。这首次证明了习惯对气味-视觉对的中央处理的调节。正面负性 (N400) 响应对气味-视觉跨模式任务的跨模式一致性进行了编码。