Summerschool 2015

Impressions from the 2015 Summerschool

This Summerschool is generously sponsored by DFG / Priority Programme SPP 1392!

We also thank our additional sponsors:

ECRO supported 2015

SUMMER SCHOOL on HUMAN OLFACTION

July 26^th to 31^st, of 2015, in Dresden, Germany.

Links: General information | Lecturers | Contact | Abstracts | Registration | Site map of the clinic | How to get to the guesthouse | Previous participants

General information

Aim: The conference is meant to provide an informal platform for scientific exchange between established scientists and younger researchers in the fields related to chemosensation. In addition, it is meant to provide participants with up-to-date knowledge on various aspects of the human chemical senses not only through seminars - there will be a strong focus on practical demonstrations and experiments (see program).

Location: It will be organized through the Smell & Taste Clinic of the Department of Otorhinolaryngology of the University of Dresden Medical School, Fetscherstrasse 74, 01307 Dresden, Germany, phone +49- 0351 458-4189.The meeting will start at the vicinities (the lecture hall - "Hörsaal") of the Department of Gynecology, at the area of the University Clinic Dresden, House number 21, and then later continue in the MTZ building or the Departemnt of Otorhinolayrnygology (house number 5).

Fee for participation is 280 Euro (for details please click here). Participants with an industrial background pay 750 Euro.This fee covers conference dinner at Schloss Eckberg, a barbecue, and an excursion to the surroundings of Dresden. The number of applicants will be limited to 32.

Sunday afternoon (26^th of July) there will also be a chance to join a guided city tour through Dresden (it is free). It starts at 1 p.m. at the guesthouse at Gutenbergstrasse 6, 01307 Dresden, and it will end at University Clinic, Department of Neuroradiology, Haus 59, MRI I.

Also, Sunday afternoon, between 3.30 and 6.30 p.m. you have a chance to visit the University Clinic, Department of Neuroradiology, Haus 27 (DINZ), MRI, to join us in order to get structural images of your brain/olfactory bulb (this is also free).

Please let Thomas Hummel know in advance whether you would like to participate in either event.

The meeting will start with short 5-min presentations from every participant.

For housing please contact Mrs. Uta POLL, phone +49-351-4445-725 or u.poll@sbgdd.de. We booked rooms for participants at a guesthouse (Sächsische Bildungsgesellschaft für Umweltschutz und Chemieberufe Dresden mbH, Gutenbergstraße 6, 01307 Dresden) very close to the Clinic, and where we also receive a special rate of 47 Euro per night (including breakfast). It is planned that all participants will stay at this place.

Deadline for registration was the 1st of June 2015.

Continuing medical education: Participation in all aspects of the meeting will get you xx points (Sun: 4, Mon: 10, Tue: 10, Wed: 7, Thu: 10, Fri: 10).

Please contact Thomas Hummel for details.

Download Timetable

Lecturers

The following lecturers will participate (needs to be confirmed): 

Maria Larsson (Stockholm, Sweden) - cognition, odor memory

Matthias Laska (Linköping, Sweden) - chemosensory discrimination

Steven Nordin (Umea, Sweden) - Environmental Chemosensory Hypersensitivity

Philippe Rombaux (Brussels, Belgium) – structural MR imaging

Ariel Schoenfeld (Magdeburg, Germany) – functional imaging

Christian Margot (Geneva, Switzerland) - structure-odor relations, assessment of odor thresholds

Silvain Lacroix (Geneva, Switzerland) - neurogenic inflammation of the nasal mucosa and olfaction impairment

Nancy Rawson (St. Louis, MO, USA) - Olfactory cell biology in health and disease: methods and models

Bettina Pause (Duesseldorf) -  Pheromones!

Martin Witt(Rostock, Germany) - morphology of human olfaction

Basile Landis (Geneva, Switzerland)

Benoist Schaal (Dijon, France) - chemosensory development

lecturers from Dresden will include:

Emilia Iannilli - functional MR imaging of chemosensory induced activation

Thomas Hummel - evoked potential olfactometry, recordings from the mucosa

Antje Hähner - olfaction in Parkinsonian syndromes

Charlotte Sinding – odor mixtures

In addition to the demonstrations/experiments given by/performed together with each of the lecturers, among others there will be practical demonstrations of endoscopy of the nasal cavity, rhinomanometry, blood flow, acoustic rhinometry, recordings of electro-olfactograms, recordings of event-related potentials, and clinical aspects of olfactory dysfunction (diagnosis, treatment).

Contact

Thomas Hummel, M.D.

Smell and Taste Clinic, Department of Otorhinolaryngology

University of Dresden Medical School

Fetscherstr. 74 , 01307 Dresden, Germany

phone +49- 0351 458-4189 or -3197

mobile +49-1629-566-056

fax +49- 0351 458-7370

http://www.uniklinikum-dresden.de/hno/riechen

Abstracts

Maria Larsson, Ph.D.
Cognition, odor memory

The talk and demonstration will include theoretical and methodological aspects in the assessment of life-span changes in chemosensory functioning. One important issue concerns cross-sectional vs longitudinal assessment, advantages and disadvantages with the respective method (e.g., practice effects, costs, environmental confounders). Also, various aspects of olfactory cognitive processing will be highlighted. In particular, the relationship between various forms of odor memory and how they relate to the different memory systems will be addressed (e.g., the most simple forms of olfactory learning, conditioning as contrasted with the most complex form - episodic odor recognition). The theoretical part will be combined with a practical demonstration of behavioral assessment of episodic and semantic odor memory and how these two forms of memory are related.

Matthias Laska, Ph.D.
Discrimination of odors? or: why does it smell different ?

Humans are capable of discriminating between an enormous number of odors. The question of how the olfactory system achieves this amazing ability is one of the central topics in olfactory research and is of both theoretical and practical interest. This lecture aims at giving an overview with regard to the present knowledge about the neural basis of odor discrimination, odor structure-activity relationships, the psychophysical methods used to measure discrimination performance, and comparative data on discriminability of structurally related odorants. Experiments performed by the participants shall illustrate the advantages and disadvantages of different methods and their influence on the outcome of odor discrimination tasks.

Steven Nordin, Ph.D.
Environmental Chemosensory Hypersensitivity

This lecture will cover environmental chemosensory hypersensitivity from a broad perspective. In addition to sensory, cognitive and neural aspects of olfaction and chemosomatosensation, this topic will be approached by including aspects such as affect and personality. We will discuss various forms and diagnoses of this hypersensitivity, symptomology, quality of life, assessment, prevalence and co-prevalence with other types of environmental hypersensitivities and medically unexplained syndromes, risk factors, possible underlying mechanisms, and coping-strategies and social support.

Benoist Schaal, Ph.D.
Chemosensory development: Assessing olfaction in preverbal humans

The study of perception has generated contrasted models of development where nativist and constructivist views oppose. Olfaction is no exception, but this talk will present data that reconcile both conflicting parties in showing that the odour environment strongly influences olfactory development from very early on, long before birth. Data will be presented on the structural development and functional onset of olfaction, on the developmental course of olfactory sensitivity and discriminative power, and on learning and memory processes. The performance of the sense of smell will be described in the context of issues of communication and adaption, emphasising evolved and learned perceptual predispositions. Experimental paradigms to investigate odour perception and cognition will be described in early human development with special emphasis on the numerous issues that remain to be resolved. Finally, the value of using animal models will be highlighted to test hypotheses that are raised in the human, or conversely to import new questions to the understanding of our own species.

Ariel Schoenfeld, M.D.
Functional imaging of taste perception

The presentation will cover basic as well as also more advanced aspects of functional imaging of taste perception. Hemodynamic measures (fMRI) and electrophysiological measures (EEG,MEG) have so far provided conflicting information with respect to the localization of the primary gustatory cortex. The reasons for this conflict will be discussed and a possible solution will be presented.

Nancy Rawson, Ph.D.
Olfactory cell biology in health and disease: methods and models.

This lecture will cover the molecular and functional characteristics of olfactory receptor cells, provide insight into their developmental and cellular origins, present methods for assessing their function ex vivo and in vitro, and discuss how olfactory epithelial biopsies are becoming a tool for regenerative medicine. We will also examine signaling and regulatory pathways that may be impacted by medications, diseases and genetic disorders to assist the student in understanding how these factors may contribute to olfactory dysfunction.

Philippe Rombaux, M.D.
Structural MR imaging

The olfactory bulb (OB) is the first relay where olfactory information is processed, playing a key role in the human olfactory function. Recently, it has been shown that the volume of the OB changes as a function of olfactory performances and training; therefore, MRI-based volumetric measurements of the OB have received much interest in clinical setting and in research. We will review the way to explore chemosensory function through structural neuroimaging techniques, the modification of the OB in different clinical situations, the demonstration of the OB plasticity (after training, after olfaction recovery or in non sighted subjects) and the putative role of the olfactory ventricle.

Martin Witt , M.D.
Morphology of Human Olfaction

Part 1. Histology of olfactory epithelium
You will be given a short introduction of common (immuno)histological techniques and a guide how to read a histological specimen. Subsequently you will be able to examine some slides showing mouse and human olfactory and vomeronasal epithelium.

Part 2. Gross Anatomy of the Human Nasal Cavity and the Human Brain
This is intended as an introduction into olfaction-related structures in the anatomical dissection room.  

Silvain Lacroix , M.D., Ph.D.
Neurogenic inflammation of the nasal mucosa and olfaction impairment

The nose is an air conditioner and is involved in the protection of the lower airways against inhalation of exogenous particles and airborne irritants. The nasal mucosa is therefore densely innervated by sensory nerves containing several neuropeptides. In the airways, activation of sensory C and Adelta fibres leads to the release of multiple neuropeptides. In addition to their involvement in vasodilatation and nasal airway obstruction, plasma protein exudation and mucus secretion, sensory neuropeptides also participate in inflammatory cell recruitment. This neurogenic inflammation contributes to the intensity of nasal blockage and subsequent olfaction disorders, rhinorrhea, and headaches, the most common symptoms in chronic rhinosinusitis. The concentration of pro-inflammatory sensory neuropeptides is increased in the nasal mucosa of patients suffering from chronic rhinosinusitis. In contrast, the activity of the enzymes involved in the degradation of these sensory neuropeptides is markedly reduced. These observations should contribute to a better understanding of the pathophysiological mechanisms of one of the most frequent chronic inflammatory diseases. 

Sidney Simon, Ph.D.
A Sense of Taste

The process of eating has many components. These include anticipation and expectation, the physical act of putting food in ones mouth, the ensuing multimodal sensation, the decision to ingest, its post -ingesitve response and finally when to stop eating. In my talk each of these components will be covered.

Hisayuki UNEYAMA, Institute for Innovation, Ajinomoto Co., Inc.
Basic Physiology of Umami Taste: Beyond Taste to the Gut

Basic taste has a nutritional and physiological significance in our body nutrition homeostasis through affecting food choice. Among 5 basic tastes (sweet, salty, sour, bitter and umami), umami taste is thought to be a sensory marker for protein intake to recruit amino acids into our body. Recent decades, we have shown the possibility that umami taste receptors sensing free glutamate expressed on the gut as well as oral cavity could regulate dietary protein digestion via taste and visceral reflexes during meal. Now, accumulated animal and human evidence can explain the reason why umami taste is matched with meat taste and linked with protein appetite. Preliminary clinical trials furthermore reveal a future possibility that umami taste fortification with monosodium glutamate (MSG) can contribute to the healthy-eating linked with the post-ingestive satiety control.

In 2013, Japanese food, WASHOKU was approved as the fifth entree UNESCO food cultural heritage, followed by French, the Mediterranean, Mexican and Turkish cuisines. The common essence of Japanese cuisine could be the well sophisticated soup stock (Dashi) enriched in umami taste. Behind the Japanese dish rich in umami taste, the coordination between taste and visceral umami taste information might have been contributed to the better nutritional status for Japanese people. In this symposium, I’ll introduce our recent findings on the nutritional and physiological significance of the umami taste substance, MSG in optimal protein digestion and think again about the value of umami taste seasonings for healthier life.

Takashi Sasano, Department of Oral Diagnosis, Tohoku University Graduate School of Dentistry, 4-1 Seiryo-machi Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8575, Japan
The key role of umami taste in oral and overall health

Enjoying tastes should be one of the greatest pleasures in life. However, aging is sometimes associated with decreased taste sensitivity. Our previous study has shown that 37% of test subjects over 65 years of age exhibited decreased gustatory function¹⁾. Gustatory function is generally assessed using the filter paper disk test, in Japan, in which a filter paper soaked with a taste-inducing chemical solution is placed on specific areas of the tongue and soft palate. However, this test only evaluates four of the five basic tastes: sweet, salty, sour and bitter. Because the umami, which is recognized as a fifth taste category, is not clinically measured at present, information about the umami taste disorders has yet to be compiled. We recently developed the umami taste sensitivity test²⁾, and reported the specific loss of umami taste sensation in some elderly patients, whereas the other four taste sensations (sweet, salty, sour, bitter) were normal³⁾. These studies further demonstrated that the patients with loss of the umami taste sensation also experienced low appetite and weight loss, resulting in a poor overall health.

Taste disorders are strongly related to the reduced salivary flow, because saliva assists and influences the detection of taste by allowing the diffusion of taste substances to taste receptors, chemical interaction with food substances, and protection of the taste buds. We examined the relationship between salivary flow rate and taste threshold to identify how hyposalivation influences hypogeusia in the elderly. The results showed that the rate of salivary secretion was less than the standard level (10mL/10min) in all subjects with gustatory impairment, but was normal in subjects with normal taste thresholds¹⁾. The data indicates hyposalivation is closely related to hypogeusia. Moreover, our clinical studies have shown that treatment of hyposalivation diminishes hypogeusia, indicating that salivation is essential to maintain normal taste function¹⁾. Glutamate, which produces umami taste, was demonstrated to increase salivary secretion and thereby improve hypogeusia by enhancing the gustatory-salivary reflex⁴⁾. Our data shows that the umami is an effective tool for the relief of hypogeusia without any side effects. As described, salivation and taste function are closely related to each other.
In conclusion, taste function and overall health are associated and, thus, salivation and health are indirectly related. We would like to emphasize an intimate relationship between oral and overall health⁵⁾.

1. Satoh-Kuriwada S, Shoji N, Kawai M, Uneyama H, Kaneta N, Sasano T. Hyposalivation strongly influences hypogeusia in the elderly. Journal of Health Science 55, 689-698 (2009).
2. Satoh-Kuriwada S, Kawai M, Iikubo M, Sekine-Hayakawa Y, Shoji N, Uneyama H, Sasano T. Development of an Umami Taste Sensitivity Test and Its Clinical Use. PLOS ONE. Doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0095177 (2014).
3. Sasano T, Satoh-Kuriwada S, Kaneta N, Shoji N, Kawai M, Uneyama H. Incidence of taste disorder and umami taste disorder among the Japanese elderly and youth. Journal of Nutrition & Food Sciences doi:10.4172/2155-9600. S10-002, (2012).  
4. Sasano T, Satoh-Kuriwada S, Shoji N, Sekine-Hayakawa Y, Kawai M, Uneyama H. Application of umami taste stimulation to remedy for hypogeusia based on reflex salivation. Biol Pharm Bull 33, 1791-1795 (2010).
5.  Sasano T, Satoh-Kuriwada S, Shoji N, Iikubo M, Kawai M, Uneyama H, Sakamoto M. Important Role of Umami Taste Sensitivity in Oral and Overall Health. Current Pharmaceutical Design 20, 2750-2754 (2014).

Masanori Kohmura, International Glutamate Technical Committee, Belgium. Quality Assurance & External Scientific Affairs Department, Ajinomoto Co., Inc. Japan.
What is UMAMI TASTE?

Umami is the taste of glutamate which is an important taste element in foods and scientifically recognized as one of the basic taste along with other for basic tastes, sweet, sour, salty and bitter.
Glutamic acid was first isolated by the acid treatment of wheat gluten by the German scientist Ritthausen in 1866. However, he did not realize taste of glutamate. A Japanese scientist, Ikeda studied physical chemistry at Ostwald’s laboratory in Germany from 1899 for two years. During his stay in Germany, he was interested in the tastes of various foods that he first ate there such as tomatoes, cheese, asparagus and meat. He noticed that an unidentified taste quality, distinct from the four basic tastes was present in palatable foods. And also he impressed at the physique of westerner and felt necessity for the improvement of nutritional status of Japanese. After two years he returned to Japan and detected unidentified taste most clearly in soup stock prepared from dried seaweed “konbu”, which has been used traditionally in Japanese cooking. Subsequently, in 1908, he discovered that glutamate is the key component to the taste of the soup stock from konbu and he named taste of glutamate “umami”. After discovering umami, he tried to develop a new seasoning based on glutamate to help improvement of nutritional status of Japanese and found Monosodium Glutamate (MSG) is the ideal substance for seasoning. In 1909, MSG was first marketed in Japan, since then, MSG had been used worldwide as a food ingredient. Other typical umami substances in nature are ribonucleotides such as IMP and GMP. Ribonucleotides do not have taste themselves but significantly enhance umami taste of glutamate and it is called synergism. Recent studies indicated that umami taste is transduced by the heterodimeric G-protein coupled receptors T1R1 and T1R3 that have taste synergism, and metabotropic type glutamate receptors mGluRs also may be involved.

Demonstrations on Sunday afternoon

Olfactory neuroanatomy on the basis of MR scans
Hagen Kitzler, M.D.

Volumetric assessment of the olfactory bulb
Antje Hähner, M.D.

A quick demonstration of FMRI
Cornelia Hummel, M.D.

Demonstrations on Monday and Tuesday

Assessment of nasal airflow and stimulus activated changes of nasal blood flow
Silvain Lacroix, M.D.

When contemplating olfactory problems and questions, one has to bear in mind that not only cells are busy picking up olfactory cues using molecules dispersed in our environment, but that a whole organ is designed to that task besides helping with respiration: the nose.
When the problem of olfactory loss in encountered, a thorough examination of the nose is necessary. During this demonstration, the nose will receive a closer look using rigid and flexible endoscopy technique. Special attention will be paid to the appearance of the vomeronasal duct, as well as to the nasoplatine duct. Major reasons of olfactory loss due to alterations of nasal conditions will be demonstrated. Attendants will have the chance to practise endoscopy to have a look at cavity that hosts the sensory system they deal with during this Summer School.
This course will also provide an introduction of the current nasal function measurement techniques. The methods presented will be: anterior rhinomanometry, acoustic rhinometry, and Laser Doppler Flowmetry. The techniques will be discussed and a practical demonstration will be given.

Evoked potential olfactometry
Emilia Iannilli, Ph.D.

During this summerschool an introduction to olfactometry and gustometry will be given. This will consist of both, a more theoretical introduction to this are of research, and a hands-on, practical approach.  

Psychophysical techniques for the assessment of chemonsensory functions

Thomas Hummel. M.D.

Recordings from the mucosa

Simona Negoias, M.D.

During the practical demonstrations it will be shown how electrodes for recordings of electro-olfactograms or negative mucosal potentials are prepared, flows are adjusted, temperatures measured, humidity is controlled, and odor concentrations are assessed.

Biospies, nasal endoscopy

Volker Gudziol, M.D.
Starting from known neuroanatomic correlates of olfaction, functional imaging methods will be introduced. The most widely used functional imaging method being MRI, we will concentrate on this modality. We will look at all steps of a fMRI-study, beginning with the methodological background, passing by the study-design, to finally interpret the results of the complex data analysis procedures. Besides the great advantage of good anatomical resolution, fMRI has a rather poor temporal resolution. Possible remedies for this problem will be discussed.

Registration

Conference fees can be paid either in cash or by credit card or by money transfer. To pay by credit card please email the following information to Thomas Hummel

Credit Card payment:
        Last name, first name (as written on card)

        Card Type (VISA or MASTERCARD)

        Credit card number

        Expiration date

        Conference fee

        Email for possible inquiry

Money transfer - please send the money to the following account:

Within Germany:

Carl Gustav Carus Management GmbH, Fetscherstr. 74, 01307 Dresden, Germany

Important: Please indicate as purpose of the payment “SUMMERSCHOOL_2015” plus your name

Bank: Deutsche Kreditbank AG

BLZ: 120 300 00

Account number: 11 248 333

From outside of Germany:

Receiver: Carl Gustav Carus Management GmbH, Fetscherstr. 74, 01307 Dresden, Germany

Important: Please indicate as purpose of the payment “SUMMERSCHOOL_2015” plus your name

IBAN:        DE 71 1203 0000 0011 248 333

BIC:          BYLADEM 1001

Sitemap of the clinic area

How to get to the guesthouse at Gutenbergstrasse 6, 01307 Dresden, Germany?

For a map click here

from main station

• Take the tram 3 until Pirnaischer Platz
• Take the bus line 62 direction Johannstadt until stop Gutenbergstrasse
• Taxi from the main station to the guesthouse is approximately 12 Euro

from airport

• Take the train from the airport to the station “Dresden Neustadt”
• There you take the tram 6 until stop “St.- Benno- Gymnasium”
• Take the bus line 62 direction Johannstadt until stop Gutenbergstrasse
• Taxi from the airport to the guesthouse is approximately 18 Euro

by car and from motorway A4

• Leave atjunction Dresden-Altstadt
• Turn right in direction of the center ( entrum)
• Head straight forward until the next big crossroad
• Go straight on at the next crossroad for about 500m
• Turn halfleft into the Bremer street
• Now always follow the main street and pass the congress centre and the famous Terrassenufer with the steamers
• After passing the Terrassenufer turn right at the next crossroad
• After about 600m, you turn right again into Pfeiffenhannsstrasse
• After about 250 m turn left again into Pfotenhauerstrasse
• After another 300 m turn left again into Gutenbergstrasse
• Find the Sächsische Bildungsgesellschaft (the dormitory) after 150 m on the right

Previous participants

The following people participated in our previous Summerschool in 2003

The following people participated in our previous Summerschool in 2005

The following people participated in our previous Summerschool in 2007

The following people participated in our previous Summerschool in 2009

The following people participated in our previous Summerschool in 2011

The following people participated in our previous Summerschool in 2013