Odors as effective retrieval cues for stressful episodes

Wiemers, Uta S.; Sauvage, Magdalena; Wolf, Oliver T.

doi:10.1016/j.nlm.2013.10.004

Cited by 35 publications

(28 citation statements)

References 56 publications

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“…It is well known that odors are effective retrieval cues for stressful events (Wiemers et al, 2013), and that odors trigger involuntary memories of traumatic events and precipitate trauma-related flashbacks (Kline and Rausch, 1985, Vermetten and Bremner, 2003). It is therefore reasonable to speculate that trauma odors may play a significant role in PTSD-related brain atrophy, and perhaps contribute to the particular damage of the olfactory cortex, which is known to be especially vulnerable to insult (Devanand, Michaels-Marston, 2000, Lerche, Seppi, 2014).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Burning odor-elicited anxiety in OEF/OIF combat veterans: Inverse relationship to gray matter volume in olfactory cortex

Cortese¹,

McConnell

Froeliger

et al. 2015

Journal of Psychiatric Research

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Despite the anatomical overlap between the brain’s fear/threat and olfactory systems, a very limited number of investigations have considered the role of odors and the central olfactory system in the pathophysiology of PTSD. The goal of the present study was to assess structural differences in primary and secondary olfactory cortex between combat veterans with and without PTSD (CV+PTSD, CV−PTSD, respectively). An additional goal was to determine the relationship between gray matter volume (GMV) in olfactory cortex and the distressing properties of burning-related odors. A region of interest voxel-based morphometric (VBM) approach was used to measure GMV in olfactory cortex in a well-characterized group of CV+PTSD (n=20) and CV−PTSD (n=25). Prior to the MRI exam, combat-related (i.e., burning rubber) and control odors were systematically sampled and rated according to their potential for eliciting PTSD symptoms. Results showed that CV+PTSD exhibited significantly reduced GMV in anterior piriform (primary olfactory) and orbitofrontal (secondary olfactory) cortices compared to CV−PTSD (both p<.01). For the entire group, GMV in bilateral anterior piriform cortex was inversely related to burning rubber odor-elicited memories of trauma (p<.05). GMV in orbitofrontal cortex was inversely related to both clinical and laboratory measures of PTSD symptoms (all p<.05). In addition to replicating an established inverse relationship between GMV in anxiety-associated brain structures and PTSD symptomatology, the present study extends those findings by being the first report of volumetric decreases in olfactory cortex that are inversely related to odor-elicited PTSD symptoms. Potential mechanisms underlying this finding are discussed.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Burning odor-elicited anxiety in OEF/OIF combat veterans: Inverse relationship to gray matter volume in olfactory cortex

Cortese¹,

McConnell

Froeliger

et al. 2015

Journal of Psychiatric Research

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“…3 Post-Encoding 1 Between-Subjects 127 −0.374 18.88 45.67 van Ast et al (2014) Encoding 8 Between-Subjects 40 0.175 22 100 Weymar et al (2012) Encoding 2 Between-Subjects 40 −0.183 24.5 100 Wiemers et al (2013) Encoding 3 Between-Subjects 60 0.305 23.87 50 Wiemers et al (2014), Exp. 1 Encoding 2 Between-Subjects 44 0.654 24.12 47.7 Wiemers et al (2014), Exp. 2 Encoding 2 Between-Subjects 45 0.103 24.12 48.9 Wirkner et al (2013) Encoding 3 Between-Subjects 52 −0.662…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

The effects of acute stress on episodic memory: A meta-analysis and integrative review.

Shields¹,

Sazma²,

McCullough³

et al. 2017

Psychological Bulletin

343

354

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A growing body of research has indicated that acute stress can critically impact memory. However, there are a number of inconsistencies in the literature, and important questions remain regarding the conditions under which stress effects emerge as well as basic questions about how stress impacts different phases of memory. In this meta-analysis, we examined 113 independent studies in humans with 6,216 participants that explored effects of stress on encoding, post-encoding, retrieval, or post-reactivation phases of episodic memory. The results indicated that when stress occurred prior to or during encoding it impaired memory, unless both the delay between the stressor and encoding was very short and the study materials were directly related to the stressor, in which case stress improved encoding. In contrast, post-encoding stress improved memory unless the stressor occurred in a different physical context than the study materials. When stress occurred just prior to or during retrieval, memory was impaired, and these effects were larger for emotionally valenced materials than neutral materials. Although stress consistently increased cortisol, the magnitude of the cortisol response was not related to the effects of stress on memory. Nonetheless, the effects of stress on memory were generally reduced in magnitude for women taking hormonal contraceptives. These analyses indicate that stress disrupts some episodic memory processes while enhancing others, and that the effects of stress are modulated by a number of critical factors. These results provide important constraints on current theories of stress and memory, and point to new questions for future research.

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“…Lower olfactory thresholds during stress could explain why odors are potent retrieval cues for stressful episodes in healthy individuals (Wiemers et al, 2014), as well as in patients with post-traumatic stress disorder (Vermetten et al, 2007). Within a symptom-learning account of idiopathic environmental intolerance (Meulders et al, 2010), lower olfactory thresholds during stress could facilitate the conditioning of symptoms to odors.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Stress lowers the detection threshold for foul-smelling 2-mercaptoethanol

Pacharra

Schäper

Kleinbeck

et al. 2015

Stress

Self Cite

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Previous studies have reported enhanced vigilance for threat-related information in response to acute stress. While it is known that acute stress modulates sensory systems in humans, its impact on olfaction and the olfactory detection of potential threats is less clear. Two psychophysical experiments examined, if acute stress lowers the detection threshold for foul-smelling 2-mercaptoethanol. Participants in Experiment 1 (N = 30) and Experiment 2 (N = 32) were randomly allocated to a control group or a stress group. Participants in the stress group underwent a purely psychosocial stressor (public mental arithmetic) in Experiment 1 and a stressor that combined a physically demanding task with social-evaluative threat in Experiment 2 (socially evaluated cold-pressor test). In both experiments, olfactory detection thresholds were repeatedly assessed by means of dynamic dilution olfactometry. Each threshold measurement consisted of three trials conducted using an ascending method of limits. Participants in the stress groups showed the expected changes in heart rate, salivary cortisol, and mood measures in response to stress. About 20 min after the stressor, participants in the stress groups could detect 2-mercaptoethanol at a lower concentration than participants in the corresponding control groups. Our results show that acute stress lowers the detection threshold for a malodor.

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Odors as effective retrieval cues for stressful episodes

Cited by 35 publications

References 56 publications

Burning odor-elicited anxiety in OEF/OIF combat veterans: Inverse relationship to gray matter volume in olfactory cortex

Burning odor-elicited anxiety in OEF/OIF combat veterans: Inverse relationship to gray matter volume in olfactory cortex

The effects of acute stress on episodic memory: A meta-analysis and integrative review.

Stress lowers the detection threshold for foul-smelling 2-mercaptoethanol

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