An fMRI study on the influence of sommeliers' expertise on the integration of flavor

Abstract

Flavors guide consumers' choice of foodstuffs, preferring those that they like and meet their needs, and dismissing those for which they have a conditioned aversion. Flavor affects the learning and consumption of foods and drinks; what is already well-known is favored and what is new is apprehended. The flavor of foodstuffs is also crucial in explaining some eating behaviors such as overconsumption. The “blind” taste test of wine is a good model for assessing the ability of people to convert mouth feelings into flavor. To determine the relative importance of memory and sensory capabilities, we present the results of an fMRI neuro-imaging study involving 10 experts and 10 matched control subjects using wine as a stimulus in a blind taste test, focusing primarily on the assessment of flavor integration. The results revealed activations in the brain areas involved in sensory integration, both in experts and control subjects (insula, frontal operculum, orbitofrontal cortex, amygdala). However, experts were mainly characterized by a more immediate and targeted sensory reaction to wine stimulation with an economic mechanism reducing effort than control subjects. Wine experts showed brainstem and left-hemispheric activations in the hippocampal and parahippocampal formations and the temporal pole, whereas control subjects showed activations in different associative cortices, predominantly in the right hemisphere. These results also confirm that wine experts work simultaneously on sensory quality assessment and on label recognition of wine.

Olfactory Network Differences in Master Sommeliers: Connectivity Analysis Using Granger Causality and Graph Theoretical Approach

“…Several nodes, such as the olfactory cortex, insula, amygdala, parahippocampal gyrus, operculum, and putamen, have been associated with processing odor identification and gustatory and sensory networks in earlier studies (Castriota-Scanderbeg et al, 2005;Pazart et al, 2014;Royet et al, 2013). Our results also include significant functional alterations in brain regions (precuneus, caudate, and putamen) involved in high-level cognition network (e.g., attention, mental imagery, working memory).…”

“…For example, neural correlates of performance in archers (Kim et al, 2014), altered insula activation in expert meditators (Lutz et al, 2013), distinct patterns of olfactory regions and hippocampus activation in perfumers when imaging smell (Plailly et al, 2012) and, during wine tasting, a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study showed that wine experts (sommeliers) showed increased activation of the memory network (Pazart et al, 2014).…”

How stereochemistry influences the taste of wine: Isolation, characterization and sensory evaluation of lyoniresinol stereoisomers

“…Therefore, even though cognitive processing is primordial [1,2], the emotion caused by wine tasting is above all due to direct contact between wine stimuli and the taster's sensory receptors. These stimuli are volatile and non-volatile compounds that are responsible for the odors and tastes of wine, respectively.…”

Olfactory memory networks: from emotional learning to social behaviors

“…Pazart et al ( 2014 ) designed an fMRI study to describe the differences in brain activation in wine experts compared to control subjects. They observed specific areas activated in the experts' brains during all phases of wine tasting and reported that wine experts showed a more immediate and targeted sensory reaction to wine stimulation than control subjects.…”