Smelling a skunk after a cold: Brain changes after a stuffed nose protect the sense of smell
Sunday, August 12, 2012 - 15:00
in Biology & Nature
Once our nostrils clear after a cold, we take for granted that our sniffers will dependably rebound. That dependability is no accident. It turns out the brain is working behind the scenes to make sure the sense is just as sharp after the nose recovers. A new study shows that after the human nose has been blocked for a week, brain activity rapidly changes in the regions connected to the olfactory system.