title: Differential odor sensitivity in PTSD: Implications for treatment and future research.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Given that odors enhance the retrieval of autobiographical memories, induce physiological arousal, and trigger trauma-related flashbacks, it is reasonable to hypothesize that odors play a significant role in the pathophysiology of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). For these reasons, this preliminary study sought to examine self-reported, odor-elicited distress in PTSD.
  
  
  METHODS
  Combat veterans with (N=30) and without (N=22) PTSD and healthy controls (HC: N=21), completed an olfactory questionnaire that provided information on the hedonic valence of odors as well as their ability to elicit distress or relaxation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Two main findings were revealed: Compared to HC, CV+PTSD, but not CV-PTSD, reported a higher prevalence of distress to a limited number of select odors that included fuel (p=.004), blood (p=.02), gunpowder (p=.03), and burning hair (p=.02). In contrast to this increased sensitivity, a blunting effect was reported by both groups of veterans compared to HC that revealed lower rates of distress and relaxation in response to negative hedonic odors (p=.03) and positive hedonic odors (p<.001), respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study is limited by its use of retrospective survey methods, whereas future investigations would benefit from laboratory measures taken prior, during, and after deployment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present findings suggest a complex role of olfaction in the biological functions of threat detection. Several theoretical models are discussed. One possible explanation for increased sensitivity to select odors with decreased sensitivity to other odors is the co-occurrence of attentional bias toward threat odors with selective ignoring of distractor odors. Working together, these processes may optimize survival.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, MUSC, 67 President Street, MSC 861, Charleston, SC 29425, USA. Electronic address: corteseb@musc.edu.
authors.forename: Bernadette M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Cortese
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, MUSC, 67 President Street, MSC 861, Charleston, SC 29425, USA.
authors.forename: Kimberly
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Leslie
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, MUSC, 67 President Street, MSC 861, Charleston, SC 29425, USA.
authors.forename: Thomas W
authors.initials: TW
authors.lastname: Uhde
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001288:Attention; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D061212:Memory, Episodic; D008875:Middle Aged; D009812:Odorants; D055696:Olfactory Perception; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013313:Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic / Q000523:psychology*; D014728:Veterans / Q000523:psychology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Attentional bias; Fear; Odor Sensitivity; Odor threat cues; Olfaction; PTSD
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