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The sense of smell is one of the oldest and the most primitive senses mammals possess, it helps to evaluate the surrounding environment. From birth, smell is an important sensory modality, highly relevant for neonatal behavioral adaptation. Even though human newborns seem to be able to perceive and react to olfactory stimuli, there is still a lack of knowledge about the ontogeny of smell and the underlying central processing involved in odor perception in newborns. Brain networks involved in chemosensory perception of odorants are well described in adults, however in newborns there is no evidence that central olfaction is functional given the largely unmyelinated neonatal central nervous system. To examine this question, we used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in the newborn to characterize cortical response to olfactory and trigeminal odorants. Here we show that brain response to odors can be measured and localized using functional MRI in newborns. Furthermore, we found that the developing brain, only few days after birth, processes new artificial odorants in similar cortical areas than adults, including piriform cortex, orbitofrontal cortex and insula. Our work provides evidence that human olfaction at birth relies on brain functions that involve all levels of the cortical olfactory system.

We propose a mechanistic modelling approach for studying the indoor dispersion of aroma compounds which are released from, for instance, food products. The approach combines the indoor velocity field with a release model for aroma compounds. The release mass flux is expressed as a function of key variables such as mass transfer and gas-liquid partition coefficients, and the source geometry. The transport properties of ambient air are assumed to be independent of the aroma concentration; hence release and dispersion problems can be solved separately. First, the velocity field is obtained as solution of the fluid flow problem through computational fluid dynamics (CFD). The turbulent velocity field is then used to predict the time evolution of concentration of an aroma compound released by a constant rate source, in an initially aroma-free environment. These results are interpreted in terms of a step response function. The aroma concentration as a function of time is finally estimated by convolving the possibly time-varying release mass flux and the response function associated with the position of interest. The modelling approach is flexible and computationally effective, since different release models as well as the release of distinct aroma compounds can be directly studied by taking into account a same velocity field, without any additional CFD simulation. The validity of the approach is assessed from measurements of aroma concentration in a 140m3 room, under constant release mass flux. The approach is also illustrated for a case where the release mass flux is not constant in time. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The formation of acrylamide in crystalline model systems based on asparagine and reducing sugars was investigated under low-moisture reaction conditions. The acrylamide amounts were correlated with physical changes occurring during the reaction. Molecular mobility of the precursors turned out to be a critical parameter in solid systems, which is linked to the melting behavior and the release of crystallization water of the reaction sample. Heating binary mixtures of asparagine monohydrate and anhydrous reducing sugars led to higher acrylamide amounts in the presence of fructose compared to glucose. Differential scanning calorimetry measurements performed in open systems indicated melting of fructose at 126 degrees C, whereas glucose and galactose fused at 157 and 172 degrees C, respectively. However, glucose was the most reactive and fructose the least efficient sugar in anhydrous liquid systems, indicating that at given molecular mobility the chemical reactivity of the sugar was the major driver in acrylamide formation. Furthermore, reaction time and temperature were found to be covariant parameters: acrylamide was preferably formed by reacting glucose and asparagine at 120 degrees C for 60 min, whereas 160 degrees C was required at shorter reaction time (5 min). These results suggest that, in addition to the chemical reactivity of ingredients, their physical state as well as reaction temperature and time would influence the formation of acrylamide during food processing.

The formation of acrylamide was measured in real time during thermal treatment (120-170 degrees C) of potato as well as in Maillard model systems composed of asparagine and reducing sugars, such as fructose and glucose. This was achieved by on-line monitoring of acrylamide released into the headspace of the samples using proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry (PTR-MS). Unambiguous identification of acrylamide by PTR-MS was accomplished by gas chromatography coupled simultaneously to electron-impact MS and PTR-MS. The PTR-MS ion signal at m/z 72 was shown to be exclusively due to protonated acrylamide obtained without fragmentation. In model Maillard systems, the formation of acrylamide from asparagine was favored with increasing temperature and preferably in the presence of fructose. Maximum signal intensities in the headspace were obtained after approximately 2 min at 170 degrees C, whereas 6-7 min was required at 150 degrees C. Similarly, the level of acrylamide released into the headspace during thermal treatment of potato was positively correlated to temperature.

The goal of this study was to better understand the correspondence between sensory perception and in-nose compound concentration. Five aroma compounds at three different concentrations increasing by factors of 4 were added to four matrixes (water, skim milk, 2.7% fat milk, and 3.8% fat milk). These were evaluated by nosespace analysis with detection by proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry (PTR-MS), using five panellists. These same panellists evaluated the perceived intensity of each compound in the matrixes at the three concentrations. PTR-MS quantification found that the percent released from an aqueous solution swallowed immediately was between 0.1 and 0.6%, depending on the compound. The nosespace and sensory results showed the expected effect of fat on release, where lipophilic compounds showed reductions in release as fat content increases. The effect is less than that observed in headspace studies. A general correlation between nosespace concentration and sensory intensity ratings was found. However, examples of perceptual masking were found where higher fat milks showed reductions in aroma compound intensity ratings, even if the nosespace concentrations were the same.

In a previous publication, a preparative apparatus was developed and optimized for simultaneous distillation–extraction (SDE) based on a theoretical model. In this paper, its performances were tested under various working conditions using a model mixture of flavourings. Separations were achieved at boiling water temperature as well as under mild conditions, which reduce artefact formation (room temperature, reduced pressure). High recoveries were obtained for batch experiments, but the boiler can also be fed from an external tank for continuous operations. This permits consideration of the preparative isolation of volatiles on a laboratory scale for subsequent fractionation and analysis, as well as industrial scale operations. Examples are given for real food flavours: one-step preparation and isolation of a reaction flavour, isolation of yoghurt and coffee flavourings, recovery of natural benzaldehyde from wastewater. In addition, the use of a food-grade solvent to achieve SDE isolation yields an ‘edible’ extract which can be reincorporated into a food without elimination of the solvent. Copyright © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A device to measure aroma compounds released during microwave heating was developed which allows time profiles of release to be determined. During microwave heating of food in an enclosed glass vessel, gas was displaced from the vessel due to water in the food turning to vapor. The released aroma compounds were trapped by a series of cold traps, all designed with serpentine flow to maximize surface and time contacts. The first cold trap used liquid nitrogen to trap the aroma compounds released prior to the food attaining 100 °C. The second trap was a modified condenser and trapped the aroma compounds released with the water, i.e., at 100 °C. Multiple fractions over time were collected. Aroma compounds in each water fraction were quantified by solid phase microextraction (SPME) and GC-FID. The sample analyzed was frozen spaghetti with added aroma compounds. Total losses of aroma compounds during heating were between 30 and 50%. The aroma compounds eluted at different times, and their air−water partition co...

Simultaneous distillation−extraction (SDE) is routinely used by analysts for sample preparation prior to gas chromatography. As the GC profile of the isolated volatiles must be representative of th...

A new headspace-GC-sniffing method is proposed. Using a recently developed headspace cell, the vapor phase is collected under conditions that mimic well those of an aroma above a food. Data treatment is based on detection frequency, rather than on perceived intensity or successive dilutions as used in other approaches. Repeatability appears satisfactory, and independent panels are even able to generate similar aromagrams, without training prior to the analysis. Using a minimum of six assessors, this technique seems to be more reliable than classical ones. To compare detection frequencies between two aromagrams, an estimation of the least significant difference is given. A theoretical justification of this approach is suggested, on the basis of determination of detection thresholds. Keywords: Headspace-GC-sniffing; impact odorants; detection frequency

The effect of intramyocellular lipids (IMCLs) on endurance performance with high skeletal muscle glycogen availability remains unclear. Previous work has shown that a lipid-supplemented high-carbohydrate (CHO) diet increases IMCLs while permitting normal glycogen loading. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of fat supplementation on fat oxidation (Fox) and endurance performance. Twenty-two trained male cyclists performed 2 simulated time trials (TT) in a randomized crossover design. Subjects cycled at ∼53% maximal voluntary external power for 2 h and then followed 1 of 2 diets for 2.5 days: a high-CHO low-fat (HC) diet, consisting of CHO 7.4 g·kg(-1)·day(-1) and fat 0.5 g·kg(-1)·day(-1); or a high-CHO fat-supplemented (HCF) diet, which was a replication of the HC diet with ∼240 g surplus fat (30% saturation) distributed over the last 4 meals of the diet period. On trial morning, fasting blood was sampled and Fox was measured during an incremental exercise; a ∼1-h TT followed. Breath volatile compounds (VOCs) were measured at 3 time points. Mental fatigue, measured as reaction time, was evaluated during the TT. Plasma free fatty acid concentration was 50% lower after the HCF diet (p0.0001), and breath acetone was reduced (p0.05) "at rest". Fox peaked (∼0.35 g·kg(-1)) at ∼42% peak oxygen consumption, and was not influenced by diet. Performance was not significantly different between the HCF and HC diets (3369 ± 46 s vs 3398 ± 48 s; p = 0.39), nor were reaction times to the attention task and VOCs (p = NS for both). In conclusion, the short-term intake of a lipid supplement in combination with a glycogen-loading diet designed to boost intramyocellular lipids while avoiding fat adaptation did not alter substrate oxidation during exercise or 1-hour cycling performance.

The relationship between the physical structure of espresso coffee foam, called crema, and the above-the-cup aroma release was studied. Espresso coffee samples were produced using the Nespresso extraction system. The samples were extracted with water with different levels of mineral content, which resulted in liquid phases with similar volatile profiles but foams with different structure properties. The structure parameters foam volume, foam drainage, and lamella film thickness at the foam surface were quantified using computer-assisted microscopic image analysis and a digital caliper. The above-the-cup volatile concentration was measured online by using PTR-MS and headspace sampling. A correlation study was done between crema structure parameters and above-the-cup volatile concentration. In the first 2.5 min after the start of the coffee extraction, the presence of foam induced an increase of concentration of selected volatile markers, independently if the crema was of high or low stability. At times longer than 2.5 min, the aroma marker concentration depends on both the stability of the crema and the volatility of the specific aroma compounds. Mechanisms of above-the-cup volatile release involved gas bubble stability, evaporation, and diffusion. It was concluded that after the initial aroma burst (during the first 2-3 min after the beginning of extraction), for the present sample space a crema of high stability provides a stronger aroma barrier over several minutes.

The quality of coffee is influenced by many factors such as coffee variety, agricultural and postharvest conditions, roasting parameters, and brewing. The pleasure of drinking coffee may be affected by off-notes such as burnt, green, earthy, or fermented. Their presence is related to the variety, fermentation during postharvest processing, or over-roasting of the beans. Sensory expert panels trained for the evaluation of coffee are able to detect off-notes and select coffees by well-defined quality criteria. The application of instrumental approaches detecting quality markers related to the perceived off-notes is shown to be useful to assist sensory panels. This paper describes the discovery of a new marker compound related to the fermented off-note occasionally perceived in coffees. The application of untargeted chemometric methods on volatile compounds revealed correlations between individual compounds and the sensory attribute. The new marker compound was identified as ethyl formate, which can be measured in the headspace of roasted and ground coffee by various analytical techniques including online proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry.

A robust and reproducible model was developed to predict the sensory profile of espresso coffee from instrumental headspace data. The model is derived from 11 different espresso coffees and validated using 8 additional espressos. The input of the model consists of (i) sensory profiles from a trained panel and (ii) on-line proton-transfer reaction mass spectrometry (PTR-MS) data. The experimental PTR-MS conditions were designed to simulate those for the sensory evaluation. Sixteen characteristic ion traces in the headspace were quantified by PTR-MS, requiring only 2 min of headspace measurement per espresso. The correlation is based on a knowledge-based standardization and normalization of both datasets that selectively extracts differences in the quality of samples, while reducing the impact of variations on the overall intensity of coffees. This work represents a significant progress in terms of correlation of sensory with instrumental results exemplified on coffee.

Relative retention, volatility, and temporal release of volatile compounds taken from aldehyde, ester, and alcohol chemical classes were studied at 70 degrees C in model systems using equilibrium static headspace analysis and real time dynamic headspace analysis. These systems were medium-chain triglycerides (MCT), sunflower oil, and two structured systems, i.e., water-in-oil emulsion and L2 phase (water-in-oil microemulsion). Hydrophilic domains of the emulsion type media retained specifically the hydrophilic compounds and alcohols. Four kinetic parameters characterizing the concentration- and time-dependent releases were extracted from the aroma release curves. Most of the kinetic parameter values were higher in structured systems than in oils particularly when using MCT. The oil nature was found to better control the dynamic release profiles than the system structures. The release parameters were well-related (i) to the volatile hydrophobicity as a function of the oil used and (ii) to the retention data in the specific case of the L2 phase due to a specific release behavior of alcohols.

Furan has recently received attention as a possibly hazardous compound occurring in certain thermally processed foods. Previous model studies have revealed three main precursor systems producing furan upon thermal treatment, i.e., ascorbic acid, Maillard precursors, and polyunsaturated lipids. We employed proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry (PTR-MS) as an on-line monitoring technique to study furan formation. Unambiguous identification and quantitation in the headspace was achieved by PTR-MS/gas chromatography-mass spectrometry coupling. Ascorbic acid showed the highest potential to generate furan, followed by glyceryl trilinolenate. Some of the reaction samples generated methylfuran as well, such as Maillard systems containing alanine and threonine as well as lipids based on linolenic acid. The furan yields from ascorbic acid were lowered in an oxygen-free atmosphere (30%) or in the presence of reducing agents (e.g., sulfite, 60%), indicating the important role of oxidation steps in the furan formation pathway. Furthermore, already simple binary mixtures of ascorbic acid and amino acids, sugars, or lipids reduced furan by 50-95%. These data suggest that more complex reaction systems result in much lower furan amounts as compared to the individual precursors, most likely due to competing reaction pathways.

Analytical and sensory profiling were performed on different commercially available espresso coffees. Chemical information about differences in composition of the coffee headspace characterising different coffee blends was obtained by on-line analysis using PTR-MS. In addition, an expert panel trained for coffee tasting described each sample by scoring key flavour attributes on an 11-point intensity scale. The overall sensory description of each sample was correlated with the analytically obtained differences in chemical composition to develop a tool predicting the sensory profile based on analytical data. This novel and efficient approach of characterising the coffee aroma by on-line analysis may shorten the time required for the development of new products and improve quality control in a more automated and objective manner.

The relationship between individual in-mouth aroma release and individual aroma perception was investigated. Large variations in aroma release between subjects exist and the question to answer is to what extent these individual differences have an impact on aroma perception. To assess this, 13 subjects performed a 3-AFC test (three alternative forced choices), while their in-mouth aroma release simultaneously was measured by proton transfer reaction mass spectrometry (PTR-MS). In each test three solutions were consumed by the panellists, two of them were the reference at 6 ppm V, one the target at varying concentrations from 6.5 to 15 ppmV. The subjects had to identify the sample of the highest aroma concentration. A correlation between individual aroma release and aroma perception could be confirmed. Higher ability to discriminate between samples of low concentration difference was found for those subjects that showed a higher in-mouth release and a lower variability.

Interest in on-line measurements of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) is increasing, as sensitive, compact, and affordable direct inlet mass spectrometers are becoming available. Proton-transfer reaction mass spectrometry (PTR-MS) distinguishes itself by its high sensitivity (low ppt range), high time resolution (200 ms), little ionization-induced fragmentation, and ionization efficiency independent of the compound to be analyzed. Yet, PTR-MS has a shortcoming. It is a one-dimensional technique that characterizes compounds only via their mass, which is not sufficient for positive identification. Here, we introduce a technical and analytical extension of PTR-MS, which removes this shortcoming, while preserving its salient and unique features. Combining separation of VOCs by gas chromatography (GC) with simultaneous and parallel detection of the GC effluent by PTR-MS and electron impact MS, an unambiguous interpretation of complex PTR-MS spectra becomes feasible. This novel development is discussed on the basis of characteristic performance parameters, such as resolution, linear range, and detection limit. The recently developed drift tube with a reduced reaction volume is crucial to exploit the full potential of the setup. We illustrate the performance of the novel setup by analyzing a complex food system.

The formation of acrylamide was investigated in model systems based on asparagine and glucose under low moisture Maillard reaction conditions as a function of reaction temperature, time, physical state, water activity, and glass transition temperature. Equimolar amorphous glucose/asparagine systems with different water activities were prepared by freeze drying and were shown to quickly move to the rubbery state already at room temperature and a water activity of above 0.15. The acrylamide amounts were correlated with physical changes occurring during the reaction. Pyrolysis and kinetics of acrylamide release in amorphous and crystalline glucose/asparagine models indicated the importance of the physical state in acrylamide formation. In amorphous systems, acrylamide was generated in higher concentrations and at lower temperatures as compared to the crystalline samples. Time and temperature are covariant parameters in both systems affecting the acrylamide formation by thermal processes. On the other side, the water activity and glass transition temperature do not seem to be critical parameters for acrylamide formation in the systems studied.

The formation of acrylamide (AA) from L-asparagine was studied in Maillard model systems under pyrolysis conditions. While the early Maillard intermediate N-glucosylasparagine generated ∼2.4 mmol/mol AA, the Amadori compound was a less efficient precursor (0.1 mmol/mol). Reaction with α-dicarbonyls resulted in relatively low AA amounts (0.2–0.5 mmol/mol), suggesting that the Strecker aldehyde pathway is of limited relevance. Similarly, the Strecker alcohol 3-hydroxypropanamide generated low amounts of AA (0.2 mmol/mol). On the other hand, hydroxyacetone afforded more than 4 mmol/mol AA, indicating that α-hydroxycarbonyls are more efficient than α-dicarbonyls in transforming asparagine into AA. The experimental results are consistent with the reaction mechanism proposed, i.e. (i) Streckertype degradation of the Schiff base leading to azomethine ylides, followed by (ii) β-elimination of the decarboxylated Amadori compound to release AA, The functional group in β-position on both sides of the nitrogen atom is crucial. Rearrangement of the azomethine ylide to the decarboxylated Amadori compound is the key step, which is favored if the carbonyl moiety contains a hydroxyl group in β-position to the N-atom. The β-elimination step in the amino acid moiety was demonstrated by reacting under pyrolysis conditions decarboxylated model Amadori compounds obtained by synthesis.

Personal dietary choices are largely based on flavor preferences. Thus understanding individual flavor perception and preference is vital to understanding the basis of human diet selection. We have developed novel tools to measure in real time and at an individual level volatile aroma compounds delivered breath-by-breath to the nose while eating and drinking. The same food may deliver different aromas to different people, due the specificities of their in-mouth environment (inter-individual differences). Moreover, a person may eat a given food in a different manner, leading to variations in the aroma profile reaching the nose (intra-individual differences). Understanding the basis of these differences opens the door to an individualized aroma science and the road to delivering nutritional value and health through products consumers prefer. The challenge to the food industry is to align what the consumer wants with what the consumer needs, delivering nutritional value and health through products they prefer.

Recently we introduced a dynamic approach to determine Henry’s law constants (HLCs) of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in water, and applied it to a series organic compounds dissolved in pure water. Here, we first discuss a further development of the original approach such that it can be applied to complex liquid food systems (coffee). Second, we examine the impact of non-volatile constituents on the HLC. More specifically, we evaluate the impact of non-volatile coffee constituents on the HLC of 2-methylpropanal, 3- and 2-methylbutanal, dimethylsulfide, dimethyldisulfide and ethyl-2-methylbutyrate. Finally, we demonstrate that the concentration on the VOC in solution does not affect the HLC, over the investigated concentration range of 10−4 to 10 ppm.

The purpose of this work was to study two key parameters of the lipid phase that influence flavor release-lipid level and lipid type-and to relate the results to a mass balance partition coefficient-based mathematical model. Release of 10 volatile compounds from milk-based emulsions at 10, 25, and 50 degrees C was monitored by 1-min headspace sampling with a solid-phase microextraction fiber, followed by GC-MS analysis. As compared to the observations for milk fat, changing to a lipophilic lipid (medium-chain triglycerides, MCT) and adding a monoglyceride-based surfactant did not influence the volatiles release. However, increasing the solid fat content was found to increase the release. At 25 degrees C, and even more so at 10 degrees C, concurrent with an increase in their solid fat content, hydrogenated palm fat emulsions showed increased flavor release over that observed for emulsions made with coconut oil, coconut oil with surfactant, milk fat, and MCT. However, at 50 degrees C, when hydrogenated palm fat emulsions had zero solid fat content, there was no difference in flavor release from that observed for milk fat emulsions. Varying milk fat at nine levels between 0 and 4.5% showed a systematic dependence of the release on the lipid level, dependent on compound lipophilicity. Close correlations were found between the experimental and model predictions with lipid level and percent liquid lipid as variables.

Solid-phase microextraction (SPME) fibers were evaluated for their ability to adsorb volatile flavor compounds under various conditions with coffee and aqueous flavored solutions. Experiments comparing different fibers showed that poly(dimethylsiloxane)/divinylbenzene had the highest overall sensitivity. Carboxen/poly(dimethylsiloxane) was the most sensitive to small molecules and acids. As the concentrations of compounds increased, the quantitative linear range was exceeded as shown by competition effects with 2-isobutyl-3-methoxypyrazine at concentrations above 1 ppm. A method based on a short-time sampling of the headspace (1 min) was shown to better represent the equilibrium headspace concentration. Analysis of coffee brew with a 1-min headspace adsorption time was verified to be within the linear range for most compounds and thus appropriate for relative headspace quantification. Absolute quantification of volatiles, using isotope dilution assays (IDA), is not subject to biases caused by excess compound concentrations or complex matrices. The degradation of coffee aroma volatiles during storage was followed by relative headspace measurements and absolute quantifications. Both methods gave similar values for 3-methylbutanal, 4-ethylguaiacol, and 2,3-pentanedione. Acetic acid, however, gave higher values during storage upon relative headspace measurements due to concurrent pH decreases that were not seen with IDA.

An aroma compound was quantitated for the first time by GC-olfactometry (GC-O) on the basis of the detection frequency of odorants by a panel of 8-12 persons. The method was previously optimized regarding the coincidence of olfactometric peak apexes and the repeatability of peak height and area over 4 months. The number of required calibration points and the confidence interval of the curve were investigated. This technique was then tested by quantifying a model solution of 1-octen-3-one. The standard addition method was found to be unsuitable in this context, but external calibration gave excellent results in the ppt range. GC-O was then challenged using one of the most sensitive and selective methods, GC/MS, to quantitate 1-octen-3-one in coffee, a complex aroma. Results showed performances comparable to GC/MS/MS for this odorant, or even better as the latter required 75-500 times more sample to perform the quantitation. However, at such a low concentration, overestimation cannot be excluded with either technique because of possible coelution of odorants or isobaric ions, respectively. These results show that GC-olfactometry can compete with the most sensitive and selective techniques, such as MS, for determination of extremely intense odorants, because little sample preparation is required and there is no need for the synthesis of labeled compounds.

A set of six espresso coffees with different foam characteristics and similar above cup and in-mouth flavour sensory profiles was produced by combination of two varying parameters, the extraction pressure and the filtration of the coffee beverage. The coffees were subsequently evaluated in a comparative manner by a set of analytical (headspace, nose-space) and sensory (Temporal Dominance of Sensations) techniques. The presence of espresso crema in its standard quantity was demonstrated to be associated with the optimum release of pleasant high volatiles, both in the above cup headspace and in-mouth. On the other hand, the TDS study demonstrated that increasing amount of crema was associated with increasing roasted dominance along coffee consumption. Furthermore, a parallel was established between the roasted sensory dominance and the dominant release of 2-methylfuran in the nose-space. This was, however, an indirect link as 2-methylfuran was indeed a chemical marker of roasting but does not contribute to the roasted aroma. Lowering the standard amount of crema by filtration clearly decreased the release of pleasant high volatiles and the in-mouth roasted sensory dominance. On the other hand, increasing the usual crema volume by increasing the extraction pressure did not bring any added value concerning the above cup and in-mouth release of pleasant high volatiles.

Background Excessive and inconsolable crying behavior in otherwise healthy infants (a condition called infant colic (IC)) is very distressing to parents, may lead to maternal depression, and in extreme cases, may result in shaken baby syndrome. Despite the high prevalence of this condition (20% of healthy infants), the underlying neural mechanisms of IC are still unknown. Methods By employing the latest magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques in newborns, we prospectively investigated whether newborns' early brain responses to a sensory stimulus (smell) is associated with a subsequent crying behavior. Results In our sample population of 21 healthy breastfed newborns, those who developed IC at 6 weeks exhibited brain activation and functional connectivity in primary and secondary olfactory brain areas that were distinct from those in babies that did not develop IC. Different activation in brain regions known to be involved in sensory integration was also observed in colicky babies. These responses measured shortly after birth were highly correlated with the mean crying time at 6 weeks of age. Conclusions Our results offer novel insights into IC pathophysiology by demonstrating that, shortly after birth, the central nervous system of babies developing IC has already greater reactivity to sensory stimuli than that of their noncolicky peers. Impact, Shortly after birth, the central nervous system of colicky infants has a greater sensitivity to olfactory stimuli than that of their noncolicky peers. This early sensitivity explains as much as 48% of their subsequent crying behavior at 6 weeks of life. Brain activation patterns to olfactory stimuli in colicky infants include not only primary olfactory areas but also brain regions involved in pain processing, emotional valence attribution, and self-regulation. This study links earlier findings in fields as diverse as gastroenterology and behavioral psychology and has the potential of helping healthcare professionals to define strategies to advise families.