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Updated: Aug 21, 2026

Olfactory Context Dependent Memory: Direct Presentation of Odorants
Published on: September 18, 2018
Olfactory-triggered panic attacks among Khmer refugees: a contextual approach
Devon Hinton1, Vuth Pich, Dara Chhean
1Department of Psychiatry, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard University, USA. devon_hinton@hms.harvard.edu
Abstract:
One hundred Khmer refugees attending a psychiatric clinic were surveyed to determine the prevalence of olfactory-triggered panic attacks as well as certain characteristics of the episodes, including trigger (i.e. type of odor), frequency, length, somatic symptoms, and the rate of associated flashbacks and catastrophic cognitions. Forty-five of the 100 patients had experienced an olfactory-triggered panic attack in the last month. Trauma associations and catastrophic cognitions (e.g. fears of a 'wind attack', 'weakness', and 'weak heart') were common during events of olfactory panic. Several case examples are presented. A multifactorial model of the generation of olfactory panic is adduced. The therapeutic implications of this model for the treatment of olfactory panic are discussed.
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