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S.L. Sage Professor 236 Uris Hall |
Research Interests
My research is primarily in sensory systems, studying chemosensory functions and behaviors. MY LABORATORY'S FOCUS IS SMELL IN HUMANS. This research is designed to increase knowledge and understanding of retronasal smelling (smelling odorants that are located in the oral cavity) in relation to orthonasal smelling (smelling odorants that are located near the anterior nares [nostrils]). The term "smelling" is used rather than "olfaction" because odorants can potentially access both the trigeminally-innervated nasal and oral mucosa and the olfactory mucosa of the nasal cavity during normal retronasal or orthonasal presentation of odorants. Participants are asked to describe the odorants, match them for intensity, indicate their intensity, or distinguish between odorants and their solvents. These descriptions, intensity reports and discriminations are be made either once for each odorant presentation or repeatedly during and after an odorant presentation (time-intensity or time-quality measures). Digital computers are used to provide instructions and acquire responses.
I'm also interested in AGING AND CHEMOSENSORY PERCEPTION. Human ability to detect or identify odorants often declines with age, but the rate of decline differs between odorants. These differential declines, coupled with lesser changes in tasting ability, can have profound effects on appreciation of flavor, enjoyment of food, quality of life, and, for odorants per se, responses to warning odorants.
Recent Publications
Parikh, V., Lee-Lim, A. P,. and Halpern B. P. (2009). Retronasal and oral-cavity-only identification of air-phase trigeminal stimuli. Chemosensory Perception, 2 (1), 9-24.
DOI: 10.1007/s12078-009-9038-4
Stephenson, D. and Halpern, B. P. (2009). No oral-cavity-only discrimination of purely olfactory odorants. Chemical Senses, 34 (2), 121-126. DOI: 10.1093/chemse/bjn063
Halpern, B. P. (2008). Retronasal olfaction. In: L. R. Squire, Editor-in-Chief, Sensory Systems. Chemical Senses. Olfaction. Encyclopedia of Neuroscience. Oxford: Academic Press (on-line), pp. 297-304.
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=RefWorkIndexURL&_idxType=SC&_cdi=5
9351&_refWorkId=5098&_explode=6910000129,6910000131&_alpha=&_acct=C00005
0221&_version=1&_userid=10&md5=4d4fc3d847b88edab971c49f9f8e3fea&refID=691
0000131#6910000131
Halpern, B. P. (2008). Mechanisms and consequences of retronasal smelling: computational fluid dynamic observations and psychophysical measures. ChemoSense, 10 (3), 1-8.
http://www.chemosensory.com/chemosense.htm
Dragich, A. M. and Halpern, B. P. (2008). An oral cavity component in retronasal smelling of natural extracts. Physiology and Behavior, 93 (3), 521-528. DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2007.10.012.
Chen, V. and Halpern, B. P. (2008). Retronasal but not oral-cavity-only identification of "purely olfactory" odorants. Chemical Senses, 33, 107-108. DOI:10.1093/chemse/bjm069
Sun, B. C., and Halpern, B. P. (2005). Identification of Air-Phase Retronasal and Orthonasal OdorantPairs. Chemical Senses, 30, 1-14. DOI: 10.1093/chemse/bji062
Halpern, B. P. (2004). Retronasal and orthonasal smelling. ChemoSense, 6 (3),
1-7.
http://www.chemosensory.com/chemosense.htm
Halpern, B. P. (2004). When are oral cavity odorants available for retronasal olfaction? In: K. D. Deibler and J. Delwiche, (eds.), Handbook of Flavor Characterization: Sensory, Analysis, Chemistry, and Physiology (pp. 51-63). New York: Marcel Dekker.
Olabi, A. A., Lawless, H. T., Hunter, J. B., Levitsky, D. A., and Halpern, B. P. (2002). The effect of microgravity and space flight on the chemical senses. Journal of Food Science, 67, 468-478.
Halpern, B.P. (2002). Taste. In: H. Pashler (Ser. Ed.) & S. Yantis (Vol. Ed.), Stevens' handbook of experimental psychology: Vol. 1. Sensation and perception (3rd ed., pp. 653-90). Wiley, NY.
Courses Taught
Effects of Aging on Sensory and Perceptual Systems; Introduction to Sensory Systems; Sensory Function