Beyond breathing: multimodal pathways connecting olfaction to autonomic nervous system modulation
Abstract
The interaction between olfaction and respiration has recently emerged as a central aspect of brain-body interactions. To date, most studies in this context, both in rodents and humans, have focused on how respiratory airflow rhythmically drives brain activity. In this review, we shift the focus to the modulatory effects of odorant molecules, which engage chemical, affective, and trigeminal pathways to elicit integrated sensory experiences and robust autonomic responses. We synthesize recent findings showing that the olfactory system, through its unique connectivity with limbic and autonomic networks, operates at the interface between exteroception and interoception. By modulating respiratory dynamics, and more generally autonomic nervous system activity, odors emerge as a multimodal signal capable of influencing brain-body interactions and supporting well-being.
Highlights-Airflow passing through the nasal cavity modulates large-scale brain activity, and this effect is mediated and conveyed through the olfactory pathway, whose receptors are also mechanosensitive -Odors rapidly modulate respiration though both their chemical properties and most importantly their perceived / associated meaning -Odors also act more broadly on the autonomic nervous system in a multimodal manner, via both the olfactory and trigeminal systems -The olfactory system represents a key gateway to the autonomic nervous system and, therefore, to well-being -The nasal cavity functions as a sensory hub activated by airflow and/or olfactory stimuli, acting as a genuine external entry point for influencing our internal state
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BibTeX
@article{walter2026beyond,
title = {{Beyond breathing: multimodal pathways connecting olfaction to autonomic nervous system modulation}},
author = {Marion Walter and Amélie Puech and Fateme Aliyari and Emmanuelle Courtiol and Nathalie Buonviso},
journal = {Trends in Neurosciences},
year = {2026},
month = sep,
doi = {10.1016/j.tins.2026.08.004},
url = {https://hal.science/hal-05771384v1},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Beyond breathing: multimodal pathways connecting olfaction to autonomic nervous system modulation
AU - Marion Walter
AU - Amélie Puech
AU - Fateme Aliyari
AU - Emmanuelle Courtiol
AU - Nathalie Buonviso
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/09/30
JO - Trends in Neurosciences
DO - 10.1016/j.tins.2026.08.004
UR - https://hal.science/hal-05771384v1
AB - The interaction between olfaction and respiration has recently emerged as a central aspect of brain-body interactions. To date, most studies in this context, both in rodents and humans, have focused on how respiratory airflow rhythmically drives brain activity. In this review, we shift the focus to the modulatory effects of odorant molecules, which engage chemical, affective, and trigeminal pathways to elicit integrated sensory experiences and robust autonomic responses. We synthesize recent findings showing that the olfactory system, through its unique connectivity with limbic and autonomic networks, operates at the interface between exteroception and interoception. By modulating respiratory dynamics, and more generally autonomic nervous system activity, odors emerge as a multimodal signal capable of influencing brain-body interactions and supporting well-being. Highlights-Airflow passing through the nasal cavity modulates large-scale brain activity, and this effect is mediated and conveyed through the olfactory pathway, whose receptors are also mechanosensitive -Odors rapidly modulate respiration though both their chemical properties and most importantly their perceived / associated meaning -Odors also act more broadly on the autonomic nervous system in a multimodal manner, via both the olfactory and trigeminal systems -The olfactory system represents a key gateway to the autonomic nervous system and, therefore, to well-being -The nasal cavity functions as a sensory hub activated by airflow and/or olfactory stimuli, acting as a genuine external entry point for influencing our internal state
SN - 0166-2236
SN - 1878-108X
ER -