Unexplained repeated pregnancy loss is associated with altered perceptual and brain responses to men’s body-odor

Abstract

Mammalian olfaction and reproduction are tightly linked, a link less explored in humans. Here, we asked whether human unexplained repeated pregnancy loss (uRPL) is associated with altered olfaction, and particularly altered olfactory responses to body-odor. We found that whereas most women with uRPL could identify the body-odor of their spouse, most control women could not. Moreover, women with uRPL rated the perceptual attributes of men's body-odor differently from controls. These pronounced differences were accompanied by an only modest albeit significant advantage in ordinary, non-body-odor-related olfaction in uRPL. Next, using structural and functional brain imaging, we found that in comparison to controls, most women with uRPL had smaller olfactory bulbs, yet increased hypothalamic response in association with men's body-odor. These findings combine to suggest altered olfactory perceptual and brain responses in women experiencing uRPL, particularly in relation to men's body-odor. Whether this link has any causal aspects to it remains to be explored.

The Bruce effect: Representational stability and memory formation in the accessory olfactory bulb of the female mouse

“…Typically, imprinting involves linking a stereotyped and robust response to a complex stimulus that is a priori unknown. Among the best-known and most widely replicated examples of imprinting in mammals is the Bruce effect (BE), first described and repeatedly shown in various forms in mice ( Bruce, 1959 ; Brennan and Keverne, 1997 , Brennan, 2009 ) and later demonstrated or implicated in other species ( Roberts et al, 2012 ; Eleftheriou et al, 1962 ; Clulow and Langford, 1971 ; Mallory and Brooks, 1980 ; Packer and Pusey, 1983 ; Rozenkrantz et al, 2020 ).…”

Sniffing Out New Friends: Similarity in Body-Odor Predicts the Quality of Same-Sex Non-Romantic Dyadic Interactions

“…We used a previously described shirt sniffing device (SSD) ( 53 ) to standardize body-odor sampling. The SSD consists of a glass jar containing the T-shirt, with an air intake port via soda lime filter, and air sampling port via one-way flap valve into individual-use airtight nose mask ( 53 ). Using the SSD assured that environmental odors, and/or other participant odors, did not contaminate the sample.…”

“…Triangle test: The 40 T-shirts of the click dyads were thawed at room temperature 1 hour before the smelling experiment. We used a previously described shirt sniffing device (SSD) (53) to standardize body-odor sampling. The SSD consists of a glass jar containing the T-shirt, with an air intake port via soda lime filter, and air sampling port via one-way flap valve into individual-use airtight nose mask (53).…”

Possible Use of Phytochemicals for Recovery from COVID-19-Induced Anosmia and Ageusia

“…Studies have also shown that underarm odors of men stimulate the secretion of luteinizing hormone in women and increase the feeling of relaxation [476], indicating that odors affect mood. Women who experience unexplained repeated pregnancy loss had an altered olfactory sense and olfactory responses to men's body odors [477], suggesting that olfactory sense affects the process of pregnancy as well. Studies on embryos and neonates have shown that odors play significant roles from early stages in life to adolescence affecting our physiological condition, our emotions, and behaviors [478].…”