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

Abstract 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 differ...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of psychiatric research 2015-11, Vol.70, p.58-66
Main Authors: Cortese, Bernadette M, McConnell, Patrick A, Froeliger, Brett, Leslie, Kimberly, Uhde, Thomas W
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adult
Anxiety
Anxiety - pathology
Combat Disorders - pathology
Combat Disorders - psychology
Female
Gray Matter - pathology
Humans
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Male
MRI
Odor threat
Odorants
Olfactory Cortex - pathology
Olfactory Perception
Organ Size
Physical Stimulation
Prefrontal Cortex - pathology
Psychiatric Status Rating Scales
Psychiatry
PTSD
Rubber
Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic - pathology
Stress Disorders, Post-Traumatic - psychology
Trauma
VBM
Veterans
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Summary:Abstract 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 
ISSN:0022-3956
1879-1379
DOI:10.1016/j.jpsychires.2015.08.015