Brain's sniff clock clocks in on a single breath
Scientists show the human olfactory bulb generates a theta rhythm synchronized to a single sniff, with gamma bursts timing odor responses. In six volunteers, deliberate sniffs reset the rhythm to a consistent phase and larger breaths amplified the theta waves, while passive breathing did not evoke the rhythm. Published in Science Advances, the study suggests a shared, sniff-driven timing mechanism in the smell system with potential implications for early detection of brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and autism.