Attention and olfactory consciousness

作者：Keller Andreas^*

来源：Frontiers in Psychology, 2011, 2: 380.

DOI：10.3389/fpsyg.2011.00380

• olfaction
• attention
• consciousness
• odor
• orbitofrontal cortex
• piriform cortex

Understanding the relation between attention and consciousness is an important part of our understanding of consciousness. Attention, unlike consciousness, can be systematically manipulated in psychophysical experiments and a law-like relation between attention and consciousness is waiting to be discovered. Most attempts to discover the nature of this relation are focused on a special type of attention: spatial visual attention. In this review I want to introduce another type of attention to the discussion: attention to the olfactory modality. I will first clarify the position of attention to smells in a general taxonomy of attention. I will then review the mechanisms and neuroanatomy of attention and consciousness in the olfactory system before using the newly introduced system to provide evidence that attention is necessary for consciousness.

• 出版日期2011