Dear Colleagues,

Olfaction, the sense of smell, is critically important in our daily lives and contributes to our personal wellbeing and safety as well as communication with others. However, it is only when disease or injury impair its function that we appreciate the relevance of this sensory modality. During the past several decades, research of the olfactory sense has seen ever-growing interest in this exciting field of study. Researchers have attempted to and succeeded in deciphering molecular, cellular, and system aspects of the olfactory sense that are the basis for behavior and disease. However, even though our understanding of olfactory physiology has grown tremendously, pivotal questions remain regarding the treatment of sinonasal and olfactory dysfunctions and recovery from olfactory sensory loss. The recent COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the relevance of olfaction as a key symptom of disease and underscored our needed search for cures of both short- and long-term loss of olfaction. The olfactory system shows distinct regenerative capacity by generating new olfactory sensory neurons in the nasal epithelium and adding new central olfactory neurons to the olfactory bulb circuitry. Several neurodegenerative diseases are characterized by the loss of smell as a prodromal symptom. At the same time, olfactory function is related to emotional wellbeing and involved in olfactory-dysfunction-induced psychiatric disorders.

This Special Issue intends to provide the reader with a comprehensive overview of the current state of the art of olfaction and olfactory dysfunctions in humans and animal models. The Special Issue will address all aspects of olfaction, ranging from molecular, cellular, developmental, and systems to cognitive and behavioral topics, as well as clinical studies.

In this Special Issue, we welcome original and review articles, as well as opinion, methods, and modeling studies. Individual papers can focus on recent advances in specific areas of olfactory physiology or pathophysiology, while other studies might focus on technological developments to study olfactory function, dysfunction, and treatment options.

Prof. Dr. Thomas Heinbockel
Guest Editor

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• olfactory sensory transduction
• phantosmia
• olfactory learning
• olfactory neurogenesis
• COVID-19
• olfactory bulb
• olfactory cortex
• distorted smell
• sniffing (orthonasal olfaction) or eating (retronasal olfaction)
• nerve cell regeneration
• neurodegenerative diseases (Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease)
• aging
• rhinosinusitis