Channing Sofko1, Geoffrey Tremont2, Jing Ee Tan3, Holly Westervelt4, David C Ahern5, William Menard6, Katharine A Phillips7. 1. Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI; Department of Psychiatry, Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, RI; Department of Psychiatry, The Miriam Hospital, Providence, RI; Division of Mental Health and Behavioral Sciences, Bay Pines Veterans Affairs Health Care System, Bay Pines, Florida. Electronic address: channing.sofko@gmail.com. 2. Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI; Department of Psychiatry, Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, RI. 3. Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI; Department of Psychiatry, Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, RI; Division of Neurology, The University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. 4. Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI; Department of Psychiatry, Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, RI; Department of Neurology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN. 5. Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI; Department of Psychiatry, The Miriam Hospital, Providence, RI. 6. Department of Psychiatry, Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, RI; Department of Neurology, Butler Hospital, Providence, RI. 7. Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI; Department of Psychiatry, Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, RI; Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY; Department of Psychiatry, New York-Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Olfactory reference syndrome (ORS) is an underrecognized, understudied, and often severe psychiatric disorder characterized by a prominent and distressing or impairing preoccupation with a false belief of emitting an offensive body odor. As this condition has only recently been recognized in the International Classification of Diseases (the 11th Edition), no empirical evidence exists about the underlying features and etiology of the disorder. OBJECTIVE: To examine the neuropsychological and olfactory functioning of individuals with ORS and address whether there is central nervous system or sensory dysfunction associated with the condition. METHODS: In this preliminary investigation, 9 consecutive participants with ORS completed a structured clinical interview and neuropsychological and olfaction evaluations. RESULTS: A proportion of individuals with ORS displayed deficits in aspects of cognitive functioning (i.e., processing speed, executive functioning, recognition memory bias for ORS-related words), olfaction functioning (i.e., odor detection and discrimination), and emotional processing. CONCLUSIONS: Based on these preliminary findings of cognitive, olfaction, and emotional processing deficits in individuals with ORS, further neuropsychological and olfaction studies are needed that better characterize this understudied patient group and address this study's limitations. Published by Elsevier Inc.
BACKGROUND:Olfactory reference syndrome (ORS) is an underrecognized, understudied, and often severe psychiatric disorder characterized by a prominent and distressing or impairing preoccupation with a false belief of emitting an offensive body odor. As this condition has only recently been recognized in the International Classification of Diseases (the 11th Edition), no empirical evidence exists about the underlying features and etiology of the disorder. OBJECTIVE: To examine the neuropsychological and olfactory functioning of individuals with ORS and address whether there is central nervous system or sensory dysfunction associated with the condition. METHODS: In this preliminary investigation, 9 consecutive participants with ORS completed a structured clinical interview and neuropsychological and olfaction evaluations. RESULTS: A proportion of individuals with ORS displayed deficits in aspects of cognitive functioning (i.e., processing speed, executive functioning, recognition memory bias for ORS-related words), olfaction functioning (i.e., odor detection and discrimination), and emotional processing. CONCLUSIONS: Based on these preliminary findings of cognitive, olfaction, and emotional processing deficits in individuals with ORS, further neuropsychological and olfaction studies are needed that better characterize this understudied patient group and address this study's limitations. Published by Elsevier Inc.
Entities:
Keywords:
neuropsychology; obsessive-compulsive and related disorders; olfaction; olfactory reference disorder; olfactory reference syndrome
Authors: Bernhard T Baune; Robyn Miller; Jordan McAfoose; Melissa Johnson; Frances Quirk; David Mitchell Journal: Psychiatry Res Date: 2010-04-30 Impact factor: 3.222