# Principles of olfactory reward processing in the human brain

> **NIH NIH R01** · NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY · 2022 · $481,022

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
A crucial function of the central nervous system is to bias behavior toward events and outcomes that hold
relevance for survival. It is well recognized that odors have a strong effect on animal behavior, as they guide
food search, maternal bonding, and mate selection. Even though humans do not consider olfaction to be a
dominant sense, humans are similarly swayed by the rewarding properties of odors. With recent developments
in the pattern-based analysis of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data and non-invasive brain
stimulation techniques, we are now in a position to explore the neural mechanisms of olfactory reward in
humans. During the previous funding cycle, we gained key insights into how odor rewards are represented in
orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), and how the dopaminergic midbrain may support these representations. The
objective of the current renewal application is to capitalize on these novel methods in order to address new
questions arising from these initial findings about the neural mechanisms of odor-guided behavior in humans.
Specifically, we will use OFC-targeted transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and novel behavioral tasks that
involve food odors as rewards to reveal the specific contribution of different OFC networks to decision making.
Moreover, the proposed studies will combine network-based TMS with pattern-based fMRI to elucidate the
neural mechanisms that drive learning about the identity of future odor rewards. Complementary studies will
examine how one’s motivational state modulates perceptional and neural responses to food odors, such that
they can aid the detection of biologically relevant rewards in the environment. Together the experiments
proposed in this project will fundamentally extend our understanding of olfactory reward processing in the
human brain at the functional and mechanistic level, with implications for neuroscientific research on learning,
memory, and behavior in general. Moreover, the findings from this work can lead to a better understanding of
the behavioral deficits described in a variety of neuropsychiatric disorders, including Schizophrenia, eating
disorders, and addiction, and may ultimately provide insights into the development of novel diagnostic and
therapeutic approaches.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10410495
- **Project number:** 5R01DC015426-07
- **Recipient organization:** NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Christina Maria Zelano
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $481,022
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2016-09-01 → 2026-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10410495

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10410495, Principles of olfactory reward processing in the human brain (5R01DC015426-07). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10410495. Licensed CC0.

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