Sensory processing abnormalities are a hallmark of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and are included in its diagnostic criteria. Among these challenges, food neophobia has garnered attention due to its prevalence and potential impact on nutritional intake and health outcomes. This review describes the correlation between novel odor perception and feeding difficulties within the context of ASD. Moreover, this review underscores the role of odor processing in shaping feeding behaviors within the ASD population. It examines the psychophysics of odor perception in individuals with ASD and evaluates the behavioral and neurophysiological assessments conducted using novel odor stimuli in mouse models relevant to autism and wild-type mice. Additionally, we explore the mechanism on how odor novelty affects neuronal circuitry, shedding light on potential underlying mechanisms for the effect of odor novelty on ASD.
Keywords: Cntnap2; Shank3; MEAL plan; autism; food neophobia; fragile X; mitral cells; neural variability; odor habituation; olfactory bulb.
© 2024 The Author(s). Genes, Brain and Behavior published by International Behavioural and Neural Genetics Society and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.