Research Notes

The Science of Scent

Whether emotional responses to scent are a product of nature or nurture is matter of scientific debate. But a new Brown study published in the current issue of the International Journal of Comparative Psychology comes down on the side of nurture.

In an experiment that involved computer games and custom-made scents, a psychology team found that responses to new odors depended on emotions experienced while the new odor was present. If participants had a good time playing the computer game, they were more likely to report liking the odor they smelled while playing. If they had an unpleasant experience, they were more likely to dislike the scent.

"As humans, we're not immediately predisposed to respond to a scent and believe that it is good or bad," said Rachel Herz, a visiting assistant professor of psychology at Brown and the lead scientist of the study. "When we like or don't like a smell, that is learned."

Herz said the study adds to science's mounting understanding of olfaction and supports an increasingly accepted theory that experience - not genes - determines emotional reactions to scents. Herz said the results may also interest marketers. A small but growing group of retailers and restaurant owners are using signature scents to create a positive association with consumers.

"Using odor to improve mood has industrial applications," she said. "Scent could even be used in schools or hospitals to improve performance or speed recovery."

An international research team, which included Brown planetary geologist James Head, has discovered that volcanic and glacial activity on Mars is more recent than previously thought - a conclusion that opens the possibility of finding life on the red planet.

In the December 23 issue of Nature, investigators revealed that calderas on five major Mars volcanoes were repeatedly active as little as 2 million years ago - recent history in Martian terms. The volcanoes, scientists speculated, may even be active today.

Meanwhile, in glacial deposits at the base of Olympus Mons - the largest volcano in the solar system - there is evidence of activity as recent as 4 million years ago. Ice may still be present under a protective layer of dust, scientists said.

Together, the volcanoes may provide the heat and water needed to sustain basic life forms, such as bacteria.

Their data came courtesy of the High Resolution Stereo Camera aboard the European Space Agency's Mars Express orbiter. The camera produced detailed 3-D images of Mars' surface unlike any seen before. In an interview with The Christian Science Monitor, Head said of the images: "It was like drinking from a fire hose. But nobody was complaining."

Helping the Body's Master Clock Tick

Many nerve cells in the suprachiasmatic nucleus, the brain's master circadian clock, communicate by electrical synapses, according to Brown research published in the December 5 issue of Nature Neuroscience.

Scientists labs headed by Barry Connors, a neuroscience professor, and Rebecca Burwell, an associate professor of psychology and neuroscience, looked inside this master clock and found that electrical synapses help synchronize its activity.

The findings answer important questions about the suprachiasmatic nucleus, which not only regulates sleep patterns but also organ function, body temperature, and hormone production. The work also sheds new light on electrical synapses, a new frontier in neuroscience.

Nursing Homes and Dying: Roadmap for Better Care

Nearly one in four adult Americans dies in a nursing home, yet basic needs - for pain medication, emotional support, hospice care - often go unmet, according to a study conducted by Brown Medical School researchers and published by the AARP.

The report offered fifteen recommendations to improve end-of-life care in nursing homes. One of the most critical: Improve government reimbursement rates.

"Listening to families' compelling stories of end-of-life care, it is clear that nursing homes need more staff and better training for that staff," said Terrie Wetle, associate dean of medicine for public health and public policy, and professor of community health at the Medical School.

"Workers also need to be better paid," Wetle said. "Even at the best facilities, aides are frequently offered wages that are about what theyÕd make at McDonald's. But many homes simply don't have the money to provide the level of care and support that the dying need."

The AARP commissioned members of Brown's Center for Gerontology and Health Care Research to gather and analyze data. The research team included Wetle, Joan Teno, Renee Shield, Lisa Welch, and Susan Miller. Team members conducted in-depth interviews with fifty-four people who had a loved one die in a nursing home and asked about their care experiences.

"Their stories make a powerful case for changing the way we provide care at the end of life in nursing homes and other care facilities," said John Rother, AARP director of public policy and strategy.