Thresholds and Chemosensory Event-related Potentials to Malodors Before, During, and After Puberty: Differences Related to Sex and Age

A sex-related difference in olfactory sensitivity to androstadienone and androstenone has been reported to occur during puberty. The study reported here extends this work to investigate whether sex and age differences exist before, during, and after puberty for 2-methyl, 3-mercapto-butanol (2M3M; a malodorous component of human sweat), carbon disulfide/hydrogen sulfide (H2S), and androstadienone. A total of 121 participants took part in the study (58 females, 63 males; age range 9-20 years). Participants were divided into 3 groups (i) pre-puberty, (ii) puberty and (iii) post-puberty. Threshold measurements for (i) androstadienone, (ii) 2M3M and (iii) carbon disulfide were recorded. Chemosensory event-related potentials (CSERPs) were recorded using air-dilution olfactometry. The results revealed that female thresholds for the three odorants were stable between the three age groups. Pubescent males had higher thresholds (less sensitive) for all three odorants. In the post-puberty group, sex differences were only observed for 2M3M. These differences are mirrored by significant sex differences for CSERP latencies. The latency increase in male pubescents may be due to the production of sweat by the apocrine glands resulting in increased levels of 2M3M and androstadienone, resulting in adaptation. To conclude, based on the present study performed in a relatively large sample, the processing of malodors in males is different from that of females during puberty. This observation not only relates to a reduced sensitivity towards odors typially found in axillary sweat but also extends towards other malodors. While the underlying cause may be partly due to specific adaptation towards malodors present in axillary sweat it might also reflect hormonal changes modifying the perception of odors.