Increased sensitivity to unpleasant odor following acute psychological stress

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

  • Yun Ai - , Southwest University (Author)
  • Juan Yang - , Southwest University (Author)
  • Haoyu Nie - , Southwest University (Author)
  • Thomas Hummel - , Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus Dresden (Author)
  • Pengfei Han - , Southwest University (Author)

Abstract

Previous studies have reported increased sensitivity to malodor after acute stress in humans. However, it is unclear whether stress-related “hypersensitivity” to odors depends on odor pleasantness. Forty participants (mean age 19.13 ± 1.14 years, 21 men and 19 women) completed a stress (Trier Social Stress Test, TSST) and a control session in randomized order. Detection threshold to three odors varying in pleasantness (pleasant: β-Citronellol; neutral: 2-Heptanol; unpleasant: 4-Methylpentanoic acid), odor discrimination, odor identification, sensitivity to trigeminal odor, and suprathreshold odor perception were assessed after participants' completion of the stress or the control tasks. Salivary cortisol, subjective stress, and heart rate were assessed throughout the experiment. After TSST, participants showed an increased sensitivity for the unpleasant odor. Moreover, there were correlations between stress-related salivary cortisol and the increased sensitivity for the unpleasant odor (r = 0.32, p = 0.05) and the neutral odor (r = 0.34, p < 0.05). Besides, salivary cortisol response was correlated to the increased odor discrimination performance (Δ stress - control) (r = 0.34, p < 0.05). The post-TSST perceived stress was correlated with decreased odor identification and decreased sensitivity to the unpleasant odor. After stress, participants rated lower pleasantness for β-Citronellol than the control condition. Overall, these results suggest the impact of acute psychological stress on odor sensitivity depends on the odor valence, and that the stress-related cortisol responses may play an important role in this effect.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Article number105325
Number of pages8
JournalHormones and behavior
Volume150
Publication statusPublished - Apr 2023
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

PubMed 36805607
unpaywall 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2023.105325
WOS 000965306400001
ORCID /0000-0001-9713-0183/work/146645383

Keywords

Keywords

  • Acute stress, Odor sensitivity, Odor valence, Salivary cortisol, Humans, Male, Emotions/physiology, Hydrocortisone, Odorants, Young Adult, Adolescent, Stress, Psychological, Adult, Female

Library keywords