ArticlePLoS biology2026
Olfactory bulb-cortex oscillations encode perceived odor intensity rather than concentration.
Article in PLoS biology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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Abstract
Perceived stimulus intensity is a core feature of sensory experience, yet how it emerges in the human olfactory system remains unknown. Here, we demonstrate that oscillatory dynamics in the human olfactory bulb (OB) and piriform cortex (PC) primarily encode subjective perceived intensity rather than physical concentration. Using noninvasive electrobulbogram recordings, we show that early gamma-band activity in the OB reflects bottom-up transmission of perceived intensity to the PC, which in turn sends top-down beta-band feedback that modulates OB activity via phase-amplitude coupling and transient beta bursts. This bidirectional communication supports a dynamic updating mechanism that maintains perceptual constancy across varying environmental odor concentrations. Our findings reveal a previously uncharacterized oscillatory framework for intensity coding in the human olfactory system, highlighting the primacy of perception over stimulus properties and offering a mechanistic basis for predictive processing in early sensory circuits.
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