Olfaction as a soldier-- a review of the physiology and its present and future use in the military

Abstract

Olfaction is one of our 5 main qualitative sensory abilities. In this review, we have examined the physiology of olfaction from the olfactory receptor to the brain. Through analyzing the physiology of olfaction, we have found that the biochemistry of olfactory nerve stimulation is unique from that of other similar pathways. Upon receiving large amounts of input from the olfactory nerve, the olfactory bulb, followed by several layers of centrifugal and centripetal processing in the brain, has to sort the information from the input as well as integrate it with other inputs from the brain to develop a coherent understanding of the input. We then examined the implications of olfaction in the military, the practical applications of electronic noses and problems associated with injury to olfaction that could affect compensation and combat worthiness of a soldier following injury. In the military, olfaction can allow the army to perform at its best through 4 main methods, namely ensuring olfaction is consistent with other dimensions of perception (ensuring optimal olfaction ability in all soldiers in combat), understanding the impact of different common combat environments on the sense of smell, utilizing odor as a defense mechanism and using olfactory aids when necessary. Electronic noses are olfactory aids that have a large potential in the military ranging from saving lives through the detection of explosives to potential methods for improving combustion efficiency. There are several problems associated with injury to olfaction that should be considered when deciding on compensation and combat worthiness of the soldier following an injury.

The Impact of High-Flow Nasal Cannula on Olfactory Function

“…32 Moreover, mucus viscosity is increased by extravasations in the airway due to hypoxia, resulting in a challenge in the binding of odor molecules to the olfactory receptors. 33,34 In addition to local effects, hypoxemia significantly decreases the activity of brain regions such as the thalamus, prefrontal cortex, posterior parietal cortex, and hippocampus, which are responsible for processing smell perception. 35,36 Finally, as reported in previous research, hypoxia causes a significant decline in cognitive function that particularly affects OD and OI.…”

Is It Possible to Predict the Odor of a Molecule on the Basis of its Structure?

“…Olfaction studies are no longer restricted to perfumers and flavorists, as illustrated by military interest in the field [89]. The importance of the olfactory sense is now gaining the attention of the medical domain because an impaired olfactory system impacts physical health, nutrition and eating pleasure, and more generally, the quality of life [84,90].…”

“…Design of site-specific mutated proteins with modified ligand-binding specificity could be a solution [94]. Although an instrument capable of discriminating odors with human-like performance still needs to be designed, the application domains are increasing with technological improvements in the military field [89], environmental monitoring [97], medical diagnostics [98], and food and beverage quality control [99,100,101].…”

Adli Bilimler Açısından Kokunun Önemi

“…Burun boşluğu birçok reseptörle kaplıdır. Bunlar, trigeminal sinirin (CN V), glossofarengeal sinirin (CN IX) ve vagus sinirinin (CN X) oftalmik ve maksiller dallarından yayılan serbest sinir uçlarının somatosensorial duyu reseptörlerinden (ağrı, sıcaklık ve basınç) oluşmaktadır (13). Bununla birlikte, sıklıkla koku olarak adlandırılan nitel duyulara sadece olfaktor sinir (CN I) aracılık etmektedir.…”