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Published on: October 10, 2012
Olfactory identification in combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder
J J Vasterling1, K Brailey, P B Sutker
1Mental Health Service Line (COS6), Veterans Affairs Medical Center, New Orleans, Louisiana 70112, USA. jennifer.vasterling@med.va.gov
Journal of Traumatic Stress
|June 6, 2000
Summary
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is linked to fronto-limbic system dysfunction. This study found that veterans with PTSD showed impaired olfactory identification, suggesting orbitofrontal cortex involvement.
Area of Science:
- Neuropsychology
- Cognitive Neuroscience
- Psychiatry
Background:
- Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) conceptualizations implicate fronto-limbic system dysfunction.
- The orbitofrontal cortex, a key fronto-limbic subregion, remains understudied in PTSD.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate orbitofrontal cortex integrity in veterans with PTSD using olfactory identification as a proxy.
- To examine cognitive functioning in PTSD, specifically focusing on fronto-limbic and related brain regions.
Main Methods:
- Olfactory identification tests were administered to three groups: Vietnam War veterans with PTSD, Vietnam War veterans without mental disorders, and non-war-zone veterans without mental disorders.
- Cognitive assessments included tests for olfactory identification, verbal learning, and other functions associated with dorsolateral prefrontal and mesial temporal regions.
Main Results:
- Veterans with PTSD demonstrated significantly lower proficiency in odor identification compared to veterans without PTSD.
- Impaired verbal learning was also observed in the PTSD group.
- Performance on other cognitive tests targeting dorsolateral prefrontal and mesial temporal functions did not differ significantly between groups.
Conclusions:
- The findings support the hypothesis of fronto-limbic system dysfunction in PTSD.
- Impaired olfactory identification suggests specific involvement of the orbitofrontal cortex in the pathophysiology of PTSD.
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