title: Possible relation between olfaction and anxiety in healthy subjects.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  While olfaction is a sense closely associated with the limbic system and emotions, the relation between emotional status and olfactory functioning has not been well documented. This study aimed to examine the possible effect of anxiety on olfaction in healthy subjects.
  
  
  METHODS
  We investigated the effect of state and trait anxiety on the detection and recognition thresholds for five different odors in 124 healthy subjects (62 men and 62 women, mean age = 27.2 years) using a T&T olfactometer.
  
  
  RESULTS
  While the influences of age, socioeconomic status, IQ, and smoking history on olfaction were not significant, women had a lower recognition threshold for the odor of sweet fruit and a higher detection threshold for that of rotten food as compared with men. Both state and trait anxiety ratings were significantly associated with reduced olfactory ability, especially for identification of rose odor.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings suggest that emotional status affects olfactory functioning in healthy subjects. Our findings may also partly explain the mild olfactory impairment reported in clinical conditions, such as anxiety disorders.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropsychiatry, University of Toyama Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Toyama, Japan.
authors.forename: Tsutomu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropsychiatry, University of Toyama Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Toyama, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroko
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Itoh
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropsychiatry, University of Toyama Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Toyama, Japan.
authors.forename: Yumiko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nishikawa
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropsychiatry, University of Toyama Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Toyama, Japan.
authors.forename: Yuko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Higuchi
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropsychiatry, University of Toyama Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Toyama, Japan.
authors.forename: Mihoko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropsychiatry, University of Toyama Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Toyama, Japan.
authors.forename: Daiki
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Sasabayashi
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropsychiatry, University of Toyama Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Toyama, Japan.
authors.forename: Shimako
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nishiyama
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropsychiatry, University of Toyama Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Toyama, Japan.
authors.forename: Yuko
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Mizukami
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Showa University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Yuri
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Masaoka
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuropsychiatry, University of Toyama Graduate School of Medicine and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Toyama, Japan.
authors.forename: Michio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Suzuki
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001007:Anxiety / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D064368:Healthy Volunteers / Q000523:psychology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D055696:Olfactory Perception; D021641:Recognition, Psychology; D012684:Sensory Thresholds; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: anxiety; emotion; healthy subjects; odor; olfaction