1st Edition

The Neuropsychology of Smell and Taste

By G. Neil Martin Copyright 2013
    248 Pages 30 B/W Illustrations
    by Psychology Press

    248 Pages 30 B/W Illustrations
    by Psychology Press

    248 Pages 30 B/W Illustrations
    by Psychology Press

    Smell and taste are our most misunderstood senses. Given a choice between losing our sense of smell and taste, or our senses of sight and hearing, most people nominate the former, rather than the latter. Yet our sense of smell and taste has the power to stir up memories, alter our mood and even influence our behaviour.

    In The Neuropsychology of Smell and Taste, Neil Martin provides a comprehensive, critical analysis of the role of the brain in gustation and olfaction. In his accessible and characteristic style he shows why our sense of smell and taste do not simply perform basic and intermittent functions, but lie at the very centre of our perception of the world around us. Through an exploration of the physiology, anatomy and neuropsychology of the senses; the neurophysiological causes of smell and taste disorders, and their function in physical and mental illness, Neil Martin provides an accessible and up-to-date overview of the processes of gustation and olfaction.

    The Neuropsychology of Smell and Taste provides a state-of-the-art overview of current research in olfactory and gustatory perception. With sections describing the effect of odour and taste on our behaviour, and evaluating the contribution current neuroimaging technology has made to our understanding of the senses, the book will be of interest to researchers and students of neuropsychology and neuroscience, and anybody with an interest in olfaction and gustation.

    1. Smell and taste: an introduction to the psychology of chemosensation. 2. Individual differences in smell and taste: Age, sex, personality and culture. 3. Smell and taste: Anatomy, development, neuroanatomy and neurophysiology. 4. Psychophysiological and neuroimaging studies of smell and taste. 5. Disorders of smell and taste, and diseases associated with chemosensory impairment. 6. The neuro-psychology of flavour: multi-sensory interaction at the behavioural and neural level.

    Biography

    G. Neil Martin is a Chartered Scientist and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. As Director of the Human Olfaction Laboratory at Middlesex University, his research covers human olfaction and the effect of ambient odour on behaviour. He has written over a dozen books on psychology and teaches courses in neuropsychology, biological psychology, forensic psychology, health psychology and integrative medicine. He received his PhD in psychophysiology from the University of Warwick.