Quantitative EEG patterns during nose versus mouth inhalation of filtered room air in young adults with and without self-reported chemical odor intolerances

Individuals who report illness (e.g. nausea, headache) from common chemical odors tend to report CNS symptoms suggestive of olfactory-limbic system involvement. This study compared the resting quantitative electroencephalographic (qEEG) patterns of young adult college students reporting subjectively elevated chemical odor intolerance ratings (HICI) with those of controls reporting little or no odor intolerance (LOCI). Each group was subdivided into those with higher (HIDEP) vs. lower (LODEP) ratings of concomitant depression. Nineteen channels of EEG were recorded during a single session over four separate rest periods, respectively, following baseline, cognitive, chemical exposure and olfactory identification tests. Each recording involved two 30-s, eyes-closed, filtered room air breathing conditions: (1) nose inhalation followed by mouth exhalation and (2) mouth inhalation followed by mouth exhalation. HICI showed significantly less beta 1 (β1) over the temporal-central region during nose than during mouth inhalation. Over some temporal and central leads, task, DEP and CI interacted to influence β1 as well. For theta (θ), CI differences emerged during nose inhalation after the cognitive task at C(z), after chemical exposures at C3, C(z) and C4 and after the olfactory ID task at C4. CI differences emerged during mouth breathing after the olfactory ID task at C(z), C4 and T4. The T5-T6 coronal array showed significant CI differences after chemical exposures during nose breathing and during mouth breathing after the cognitive and olfactory ID tasks. The θ findings in the HICI may be related to reports of disturbed attention in CI.