Deviant olfactory experiences, magical ideation, and olfactory sensitivity: a study with healthy German and Japanese subjects.
Little is known about the relationship between olfactory hallucinations and olfactory sensitivity in psychiatric populations. However, in healthy subjects, a 'psychotic-like' feature, namely magical ideation, has been linked to deviant olfactory experiences. We thus assessed olfactory sensitivity, magical ideation and deviant olfactory experiences in 42 healthy subjects (21 Germans and 21 age- and gender-matched Japanese). The results show that: (1) Germans had significantly higher magical ideation scores and a higher frequency of deviant olfactory experiences than Japanese, and more Germans than Japanese reported having had deviant olfactory experiences at least once in their lives; (2) in Germans, the occurrence of deviant olfactory experiences was correlated with higher magical ideation scores; and (3) there was no relationship between olfactory sensitivity (olfactory thresholds) and either deviant olfactory experiences or magical ideation, respectively. We conclude that: (1) the lack of deviant olfactory experiences in Japanese may best be explained by cultural differences in the response attitude towards questionnaires requiring self-disclosure; (2) the positive relationship between magical ideation and deviant olfactory experiences strengthens the supposed link between 'psychotic-like' features in healthy populations and real hallucinations of psychiatric patients; and (3) the absence of a relationship between olfactory sensitivity and deviant olfactory experiences suggests that their anatomical-functional correlates within temporo-limbic regions may differ.
Mohr
Christine
C
Department of Neurology, University Hospital Zurich, CH-8091, Zurich, Switzerland. christine.mohr@hcuge.ch
Hübener
Fabienne
F
Laska
Matthias
M
D000328:Adult; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D003469:Culture; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology; D005858:Germany / Q000453:epidemiology; D006212:Hallucinations / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008032:Limbic System / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D011897:Random Allocation; D012559:Schizophrenia / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012684:Sensory Thresholds / Q000502:physiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000503:physiopathology