Zyma I. Neurophysiological mechanisms of the natural odors perception in human

In the thesis, the solution of the scientific problem on neurophysiological features of the brain mechanisms for the perception of natural odors by human was highlighted. In accordance with the three-factor model of perception (attention, hedonic value, gender), comprehensive comparative neurophysiological studies of neocortical mechanisms for the effects of olfactory perception on functional activity of human brain (EEG) were conducted. It was found that olfactory detection is a complex system process which is accompanied by the activation of various brain regions and structures and combines the realization of such cognitive functions as emotions, memory, semantic processes and other internal mental activity, which is in turn characterized by the involvement of virtually all rhythmogenic neural networks (theta-, alfa-, beta-). It was shown that the passive form of olfactory percerption, as well as the analytical odor detection, is accompanied by the activation of cortical neural networks and, stimulating the mechanisms of the cortical-hippocampal loop, leads to the expansion of cortical-cortical and cortical-subcortical interactions, the modulation of cognitive and verbal activity. In the case of a positive emotional subjective value, the increase of respective changes of the activity was detected, while their decrease occured in the case of a negative value. Gender differences of brain functioning at olfactory actualization of the brain processes were examined. It was demonstrated that during the perception of odorants, regardless of the attention to them, they are caused by the specifics of the realization of the mental-psychological strategies of the formation of the introspective processes in males and females.