AromaPen: A Portable Scent-Memory Device for Enhanced Academic Performance

Summary

We propose to develop and test the AromaPen, an innovative pen-integrated scent delivery device designed to leverage context-dependent memory principles for improving student academic performance. The AromaPen will allow students to associate specific aromas with study materials during encoding and re-expose themselves to the same scent during exam retrieval, potentially enhancing recall through olfactory cues.

This project directly addresses the RFP objective by creating a simple, portable, and student-friendly device that integrates seamlessly into existing study routines. Our randomized controlled trial will provide rigorous evidence for the efficacy of scent-memory pairing in real-world academic settings.

This study will uniquing bring together expertise from a Professor of cognitive science and neuroimaging (Dr. McKenna) and Michelin-star trained chef, food scientist and sommelier with training in scent profiling (Ms. Mahdavi) at the Neuroimaging Research Lab.

Project Overview

Background and Rationale

Odor-evoked memory, also known as the Proust phenomenon, demonstrates that olfactory cues are uniquely powerful memory anchors. Research in context-dependent memory shows that matching environmental contexts between encoding and retrieval enhances recall. However, existing applications of this principle remain largely laboratory-based or impractical for everyday student use.

The Neuroscience of Scent and Memory: The connection between aroma and memory is rooted in unique neuroanatomy. Unlike other sensory modalities, olfactory information bypasses the thalamus and projects directly to the limbic system1, particularly the amygdala and hippocampus—brain regions critical for emotion and memory formation2,3. The olfactory bulb makes dense monosynaptic contacts with the corticomedial amygdala1, creating direct connections between olfactory input and emotional processing. This privileged neural pathway explains why scents can trigger vivid, emotionally-charged memories with remarkable clarity4. When a specific aroma is present during learning, it becomes encoded as part of the memory trace through the hippocampal formation5. Re-exposure to that same scent during retrieval serves as a powerful contextual cue, reactivating the associated memory network and facilitating recall6. Empirical studies have demonstrated that congruent odor context during encoding and retrieval significantly enhances free recall performance7,8, with some investigations showing memory improvements when odor cues are properly matched between study and test conditions9. These findings make scent-based interventions a promising avenue for educational enhancement.

The AromaPen addresses this gap by embedding scent delivery into a tool students already use continuously: a writing pen. This design ensures maximum exposure during study sessions and provides discrete, convenient access during examinations without requiring bulky equipment or obvious external cues that might be prohibited in testing environments.

Innovation and Simplicity

The AromaPen represents the simplest possible implementation of scent-memory technology:

• Standard ballpoint pen housing with integrated scent cartridge near the grip area

• Passive scent diffusion through micro-perforations eliminating the need for electronic components

• Replaceable scent cartridges allowing students to use different aromas for different subjects

• No batteries or complex mechanisms ensuring reliability and reducing cost

• Exam-compatible design that appears as an ordinary writing instrument

Strategic Scent Selection: Optimizing for Pure Perceptual Memory

A critical innovation of the AromaPen lies in our evidence-based scent selection strategy. We will exclusively use low-familiarity, low-nameability scents that promote pure perceptual memory encoding rather than semantic processing. Research has demonstrated that highly familiar, easily-named odors (such as coffee or vanilla) engage verbal-semantic memory systems, which can interfere with the formation of direct perceptual-contextual associations10. In contrast, odors with poor nameability bypass linguistic encoding and form stronger perceptual memory traces that are more effective as context-dependent retrieval cues11.

Our primary scent will be pure rose (phenylethyl alcohol), which exhibits optimal properties for context-dependent memory enhancement:

• Low nameability: While recognizable as floral, pure rose has among the lowest correct naming rates of common odorants, preventing semantic interference

• Low familiarity: Unlike commercial rose perfumes, the pure compound is unfamiliar to most participants, ensuring novel contextual encoding

• High perceptual distinctiveness: Despite low nameability, pure rose produces a clear, distinct percept that differentiates it from other odors

• Low detection threshold: Phenylethyl alcohol has a relatively low olfactory detection threshold, allowing effective diffusion at minimal concentrations

• Neutral valence: Pure rose typically elicits neither strongly positive nor negative affective responses, minimizing emotional interference with learning

Secondary scents will include other low-familiarity, low-nameability compounds such as cineole (eucalyptus-like but unnamed by most), linalool (floral-herbaceous, difficult to label), and ionone (woody-violet, rarely correctly identified). These compounds share the critical properties of being perceptually distinct yet semantically ambiguous, maximizing their effectiveness as pure contextual memory cues rather than retrievable verbal labels.

By avoiding highly familiar, easily-named scents like peppermint, lavender, or citrus—which trigger automatic semantic processing—we ensure that the AromaPen functions as a true context-dependent memory device rather than a mnemonic label system. This approach is grounded in dual-coding theory and levels-of-processing frameworks, which predict that non-verbal, perceptual encoding creates memory traces that are more resistant to interference and more effective for context reinstatement12.

Prototype Development Plan

Design Specifications

The AromaPen will consist of:

1. Base Pen Body: Standard ballpoint pen mechanism with slightly enlarged barrel to accommodate scent cartridge

2. Scent Cartridge: Replaceable cylindrical insert containing scent-infused absorbent material sealed with micro-perforated polymer film

3. Diffusion Control: Adjustable cap mechanism to regulate scent intensity based on study duration and preference

4. Aroma Selection: Four low-familiarity, low-nameability scents: pure rose (phenylethyl alcohol), cineole, linalool, and ionone—selected to maximize perceptual encoding while minimizing semantic interference

Development Timeline and Milestones

Timeline	Milestone	Deliverables
Months 1-2	Design finalization and material sourcing	CAD models, supplier contracts
Months 3-4	Prototype manufacturing and testing	200 functional prototypes, usability report
Months 5-10	Randomized controlled study execution	Complete dataset, quarterly progress reports
Months 11-12	Data analysis and manuscript preparation	Open data repository, preprint submission

Randomized Controlled Study Design

Research Question

Does using scent-matched AromaPens during study sessions and examinations significantly improve test performance compared to unscented control pens among undergraduate students?

Study Population and Recruitment

Participants: 60 graduate students enrolled in an introductory biology course with standardized multiple-choice midterm examinations.

Inclusion Criteria: Age 18-35, no self-reported anosmia or olfactory impairments, willingness to use study materials for minimum 8 hours weekly.

Recruitment: In-class announcements, course credit compensation, and monetary incentive of $50 for study completion.

Randomization and Blinding

Randomization: Computer-generated 1:1:1 allocation to three groups using block randomization (block size 9) stratified by course type

Group 1 (Experimental): Receives scented AromaPens matched between study and exam (n=20)

Group 2 (Active Control): Receives scented study pen and unscented exam pen to test for placebo effects (n=20)

Group 3 (Passive Control): Receives unscented pens for both study and exam (n=20)

Blinding: Participants blinded to group allocation through identical pen appearance. Research assistants administering exams blinded to condition. Data analysts blinded until primary analysis completion.

Scent Assignment: Within experimental and active control groups, participants randomly assigned to one of four scents, counterbalancing aroma type across subjects

Study Procedures

5. Baseline Assessment (Week 1): Demographic survey, olfactory screening test, pre-study exam to establish baseline academic performance

6. Intervention Period (Weeks 2-6): Participants provided with AromaPens and instructed to use exclusively when studying course material. Weekly logs track study hours and pen usage.

7. Examination (Week 7): Standardized midterm examination administered. Participants use assigned pen during exam. Exam proctors ensure pen compliance and collect devices post-test.

8. Post-Study Assessment (Week 8): Exit survey capturing subjective experience, perceived helpfulness, and adherence verification

Primary and Secondary Outcomes

Primary Outcome: Midterm examination score (percentage correct) compared across groups

Secondary Outcomes: Score improvement from baseline to midterm examination, self-reported confidence in recall during examination, Study hours and study strategy adherence and user satisfaction and willingness to continue using device.

Sample Size and Power Analysis

Based on prior research showing moderate effect sizes for context-dependent memory interventions, we anticipate a Cohen's d of 0.45 between experimental and control groups. With alpha set at 0.05 (two-tailed) and desired power of 0.80, the required sample size per group is 52 participants. We will recruit 60 per group (180 total) to account for approximately 15% attrition. This sample size provides 80% power to detect a 4.5 percentage point difference in exam scores, assuming a standard deviation of 10 percentage points, which is typical for undergraduate exams.

Statistical Analysis Plan

Primary Analysis: One-way ANOVA comparing midterm exam scores across three groups, followed by planned contrasts comparing (a) experimental vs. passive control and (b) experimental vs. active control

Secondary Analyses: ANCOVA adjusting for baseline exam performance and study hours, subgroup analyses by course type and scent type, mediation analysis testing whether study hours mediate treatment effects, per-protocol analysis restricted to participants with high adherence

Missing Data: Intention-to-treat analysis using multiple imputation for missing outcome data

Significance Level: All tests two-tailed with alpha=0.05. Bonferroni correction applied to secondary outcomes

Neuroimaging Substudy: Mechanistic Validation

To provide mechanistic evidence for the AromaPen's effects on memory systems, we will conduct a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) substudy with 10 participants from the experimental group. This neuroimaging component will test whether scent-matched context enhances neural activity in memory-critical brain regions during retrieval.

Participants: Ten students from the experimental group will be recruited for the fMRI substudy based on high adherence to the pen usage protocol and willingness to undergo scanning. Participants will be screened for MRI safety and contraindications.

fMRI Task Design: Participants will complete a scent-cued memory retrieval task in the scanner approximately one week after the main study exam. The task will consist of two conditions presented in counterbalanced order:

9. Matched-scent condition: Participants answer quiz questions about course material while exposed to their assigned study scent (delivered via MRI-compatible olfactometer)

10. No-scent condition: Participants answer matched-difficulty quiz questions with no olfactory stimulus

Each condition will include 20 multiple-choice questions drawn from the course material, presented in a block design with 30-second question-answer periods interspersed with 15-second baseline periods. Scent will be delivered continuously during matched-scent blocks via an MRI-compatible olfactometer with precise timing control13.

Imaging Parameters: Whole-brain fMRI data will be acquired on a 3T scanner using a T2*-weighted echo-planar imaging sequence (TR=2000ms, TE=30ms, flip angle=90°, 3mm isotropic voxels, 35 slices). High-resolution T1-weighted anatomical images will be acquired for registration and normalization.

Regions of Interest: Based on prior research on olfactory memory, we will examine BOLD signal changes in anatomically-defined regions critical for context-dependent memory: Hippocampus: Essential for episodic memory encoding and context-dependent retrieval, Piriform cortex: Primary olfactory cortex receiving direct input from olfactory bulb, Amygdala: Involved in emotional memory and olfactory processing and Prefrontal cortex: Supporting retrieval effort and cognitive control.

Primary Hypothesis: We predict significantly greater hippocampal activation during matched-scent retrieval compared to no-scent retrieval, reflecting enhanced memory reactivation. Secondary hypotheses predict increased activation in piriform cortex and amygdala during scent-matched conditions, indicating successful olfactory-memory integration.

Analysis Approach: Preprocessing will include motion correction, spatial normalization to MNI space, and spatial smoothing (6mm FWHM). A general linear model will contrast matched-scent vs. no-scent conditions, with ROI analyses extracting mean percent signal change. Whole-brain analyses will identify additional regions showing context-dependent modulation. We will also correlate hippocampal activation with behavioral performance to test whether neural enhancement predicts memory success.

Expected Impact: This neuroimaging component will provide crucial mechanistic evidence linking the AromaPen's behavioral effects to enhanced neural memory processing. Demonstrating that matched-scent context increases hippocampal activation during retrieval will validate the theoretical foundation of odor-based context-dependent memory and support the device's efficacy at the neural systems level. These findings will be essential for understanding how olfactory cues modulate memory networks and may inform optimization of the AromaPen design in future iterations.

Budget Justification

Budget Category	Amount	Justification
Prototype Development	$18,000	CAD design, mold fabrication, 200 prototypes
Scent Materials	$3,500	Essential oils, cartridge materials
Participant Compensation	$3,000	$50 per participant × 60 participants
Research Personnel	$13,000	1 graduate RAs
Supplies & Materials	$1,500	Printing, survey materials, storage
fMRI Substudy	$8,000	Scanner time ($800/hr × 10 participants), olfactometer rental, additional compensation
Open Access Publication and abstract presentation at conference	$3,000	Article processing charges
TOTAL	$50,000

The requested budget of $50,000 fully utilizes the available funding. The addition of the fMRI neuroimaging substudy provides crucial mechanistic validation of the AromaPen's effects on memory systems, offering neural evidence to complement the behavioral findings from the main randomized controlled trial.

Open Science and Transparency Commitment

We are committed to maximizing the transparency and replicability of this research:

• Preregistration: This proposal serves as our preregistration on ResearchHub, documenting hypotheses, methods, and analysis plans before data collection

• Open Data: Complete de-identified dataset, codebook, and analysis scripts will be deposited in the Open Science Framework (OSF) repository within 30 days of manuscript acceptance

• Open Materials: CAD files, manufacturing specifications, and assembly instructions for the AromaPen will be shared under Creative Commons license to enable replication and adaptation

• Preprint Dissemination: Results will be posted as a preprint on ResearchHub immediately upon manuscript completion, regardless of publication status

• Quarterly Updates: Progress reports will be posted to ResearchHub every three months, documenting milestones, challenges, and preliminary findings

Team Qualifications and Institutional Support

Our interdisciplinary team brings together expertise in cognitive psychology, neuroimaing, technology, aroma-science and quantitative research methods:

Principal Investigator: Dr. McKenna, Assistant Professor at Albert Einstein College of Medicine with 10 years of experience researching cognition, memory and neuroimaging.

Co-Investigator: Ms. Mahdavi, Chef and Sommelier, former chef at the 3 Michelin-star Osteria Francescana, scientist at Acid League and Thimus with a cognitive neuroscience degree from Brown University. Previously developed consumer products for fortune 500 companies.

Institutional Resources: Our university provides access to a dedicated prototyping lab with 3D printing and injection molding capabilities, a 3T MRI scanner, a participant recruitment database of graduate students, and IRB expertise for expedited review.

Expected Impact and Future Directions

This project has the potential to demonstrate that a simple, low-cost intervention can meaningfully improve student academic performance. If successful, the AromaPen could be rapidly scaled and commercialized, reaching millions of students worldwide.

Beyond academic applications, this research may inform context-dependent memory interventions in other domains including professional training, language learning, and cognitive rehabilitation. The open-source design will enable global adaptation and innovation.

Most importantly, by rigorously testing a theoretically grounded intervention in real-world settings, this work will advance our fundamental understanding of how sensory cues can be leveraged to optimize human memory and learning.

Conclusion

The AromaPen project represents an innovative, practical, and scientifically rigorous approach to enhancing student learning through scent-memory associations. Our simple device design ensures feasibility and scalability, while our comprehensive randomized controlled trial will provide definitive evidence of efficacy.

We are committed to open science principles, ensuring that all findings, materials, and designs are freely available to benefit the broader research and educational communities. With strong institutional support and an experienced interdisciplinary team, we are well-positioned to successfully complete this project within 12 months and the allocated budget.

We respectfully request $50,000 in funding to bring the AromaPen from concept to validated intervention, potentially transforming how students harness the power of memory to achieve academic success.

References

1. Wilson, D. A. & Sullivan, R. M. Memory and plasticity in the olfactory system: from infancy to adulthood. in The Neurobiology of Olfaction (ed. Menini, A.) (CRC Press/Taylor & Francis, 2010).

2. Zhou, G., Lane, G., Cooper, S. L., Kahnt, T. & Zelano, C. Characterizing functional pathways of the human olfactory system. eLife 8, e47177 (2019).

3. Soudry, Y., Lemogne, C., Malinvaud, D., Consoli, S. M. & Bonfils, P. Olfactory system and emotion: common substrates. Eur. Ann. Otorhinolaryngol. Head Neck Dis. 128, 18–23 (2011).

4. Herz, R. S. Emotion experienced during encoding enhances odor retrieval cue effectiveness. Am. J. Psychol. 110, 489–505 (1997).

5. Kim, J. C., Cook, M. N. & Carey, M. R. Hippocampal projections to the anterior olfactory nucleus differentially convey spatiotemporal information during episodic odour memory. Nat. Commun. 9, 2735 (2018).

6. Smith, S. M. & Vela, E. Environmental context-dependent memory: a review and meta-analysis. Psychon. Bull. Rev. 8, 203–220 (2001).

7. Saive, A. L., Royet, J. P., Garcia, S., Thévenet, M. & Plailly, J. Odor-based context-dependent memory: influence of olfactory cues on declarative and nondeclarative memory indices. Learn. Mem. 29, 136–146 (2022).

8. Parker, A., Ngu, H. & Cassaday, H. J. Odour and Proustian memory: reduction of context-dependent forgetting and multiple forms of memory. Appl. Cogn. Psychol. 15, 159–171 (2001).

9. Herz, R. S. The effects of cue distinctiveness on odor-based context-dependent memory. Mem. Cogn. 25, 375–380 (1997).

10. Larsson, M. & Willander, J. Autobiographical odor memory. Ann. N. Y. Acad. Sci. 1170, 318–323 (2009).

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13. Lundström, J. N., Gordon, A. R., Alden, E. C., Boesveldt, S. & Albrecht, J. Methods for building an inexpensive computer-controlled olfactometer for temporally-precise experiments. Int. J. Psychophysiol. 78, 179–189 (2010).

AromaPen: A Portable Scent-Memory Device for Enhanced Academic Performance

AromaPen: A Portable Scent-Memory Device for Enhanced Academic Performance

Funding Progress

Related Funding

Request for Proposals – Development and Testing of an Aroma-Memory Device for Learning

Nonprofit Recipient

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