Analysis of Pleasure and Displeasure in Harmony Between Colored Light and Fragrance by the Left and Right OFC Response Differences

Daily actions are influenced by sensory information. Several studies have investigated the multisensory integration of multiple sensory modalities, known as crossmodal perception. Recently, visual–olfactory crossmodal perception has been studied using objective physiological measures rather than sub...

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Main Authors: Toshinori Oba, Midori Tanaka, Takahiko Horiuchi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-04-01
Series:Sensors
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Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/25/7/2230
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author Toshinori Oba
Midori Tanaka
Takahiko Horiuchi
author_facet Toshinori Oba
Midori Tanaka
Takahiko Horiuchi
author_sort Toshinori Oba
collection DOAJ
description Daily actions are influenced by sensory information. Several studies have investigated the multisensory integration of multiple sensory modalities, known as crossmodal perception. Recently, visual–olfactory crossmodal perception has been studied using objective physiological measures rather than subjective evaluations. This study focused on sensing in the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), which responds to visual and olfactory stimuli, and may serve as a physiological indicator of perception. Using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), we analyzed the emotions evoked by combinations of colored light and fragrance with a particular focus on the lateralization of brain function. We selected pleasant and unpleasant fragrances from some essential oils, paired with colored lights that were perceived as either harmonious or disharmonious with the fragrances. NIRS measurements were conducted under the four following conditions: fragrance-only, colored light-only, harmonious crossmodal, and disharmonious crossmodal presentations. The results showed that the left OFC was activated during the crossmodal presentation of a harmonious color with a pleasant fragrance, thereby evoking pleasant emotions. In contrast, during the crossmodal presentation of a disharmonious color with an unpleasant fragrance, the right OFC was activated, suggesting increased displeasure. Additionally, the lateralization of brain function between the left and right OFC may be influenced by ‘pleasure–displeasure ’ and ‘crossmodal perception–multimodal perception’.
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spelling doaj-art-4289fea2952f49d2a82bd71f4a7f1ed82025-08-20T03:08:59ZengMDPI AGSensors1424-82202025-04-01257223010.3390/s25072230Analysis of Pleasure and Displeasure in Harmony Between Colored Light and Fragrance by the Left and Right OFC Response DifferencesToshinori Oba0Midori Tanaka1Takahiko Horiuchi2Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Chiba University, Chiba 263-8522, JapanGraduate School of Informatics, Chiba University, Chiba 263-8522, JapanGraduate School of Informatics, Chiba University, Chiba 263-8522, JapanDaily actions are influenced by sensory information. Several studies have investigated the multisensory integration of multiple sensory modalities, known as crossmodal perception. Recently, visual–olfactory crossmodal perception has been studied using objective physiological measures rather than subjective evaluations. This study focused on sensing in the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), which responds to visual and olfactory stimuli, and may serve as a physiological indicator of perception. Using near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), we analyzed the emotions evoked by combinations of colored light and fragrance with a particular focus on the lateralization of brain function. We selected pleasant and unpleasant fragrances from some essential oils, paired with colored lights that were perceived as either harmonious or disharmonious with the fragrances. NIRS measurements were conducted under the four following conditions: fragrance-only, colored light-only, harmonious crossmodal, and disharmonious crossmodal presentations. The results showed that the left OFC was activated during the crossmodal presentation of a harmonious color with a pleasant fragrance, thereby evoking pleasant emotions. In contrast, during the crossmodal presentation of a disharmonious color with an unpleasant fragrance, the right OFC was activated, suggesting increased displeasure. Additionally, the lateralization of brain function between the left and right OFC may be influenced by ‘pleasure–displeasure ’ and ‘crossmodal perception–multimodal perception’.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/25/7/2230crossmodal perceptionolfactorycolorharmonyemotionorbitofrontal cortex
spellingShingle Toshinori Oba
Midori Tanaka
Takahiko Horiuchi
Analysis of Pleasure and Displeasure in Harmony Between Colored Light and Fragrance by the Left and Right OFC Response Differences
Sensors
crossmodal perception
olfactory
color
harmony
emotion
orbitofrontal cortex
title Analysis of Pleasure and Displeasure in Harmony Between Colored Light and Fragrance by the Left and Right OFC Response Differences
title_full Analysis of Pleasure and Displeasure in Harmony Between Colored Light and Fragrance by the Left and Right OFC Response Differences
title_fullStr Analysis of Pleasure and Displeasure in Harmony Between Colored Light and Fragrance by the Left and Right OFC Response Differences
title_full_unstemmed Analysis of Pleasure and Displeasure in Harmony Between Colored Light and Fragrance by the Left and Right OFC Response Differences
title_short Analysis of Pleasure and Displeasure in Harmony Between Colored Light and Fragrance by the Left and Right OFC Response Differences
title_sort analysis of pleasure and displeasure in harmony between colored light and fragrance by the left and right ofc response differences
topic crossmodal perception
olfactory
color
harmony
emotion
orbitofrontal cortex
url https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/25/7/2230
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