Olfactory and trigeminal event-related potentials in pregnant and non-pregnant women – an exploratory study
Wed-P2-086
Presented by: Agnieszka Sabiniewicz
Objective: Chemosensory function in pregnant women requires a more profound understanding in the context of the inconsistent results of self-reports and objective studies. Methods: Here, on a sample of 14 pregnant and 13 non-pregnant women, we measured EEG-derived electrophysiological response measures supported by a series of psychophysical tests. Results: The present data support the view that the olfactory event-related potential (ERP) amplitudes or latencies of the P1, N1, and P2 components remain unchanged in pregnant women. In line with these findings, pregnant and non-pregnant women performed equally well in psychophysical olfactory tests. Furthermore, we found that pregnant women displayed a lower degree of sensitivity to trigeminal stimuli compared to non-pregnant controls. Conclusion: While to some degree counterintuitive, our results indicate a “flattening” of chemosensory processes, which might be interpreted in the context of changes in psychological processes that occur during pregnancy. Taken together, the current results suggest that while pregnant women do not differ from non-pregnant ones in terms of olfactory function, their chemo-somatosensory function is decreased. Identification of sources of funding: none.