Basic principles of stimulus processing and perception in Olfactory Reference Syndrome

患有嗅觉参考综合症(ORS)的人确信他们会散发出令人不快的体味(尽管这种气味不会被其他人察觉)，这会导致社会排斥。他们将无害的手势和面部表情误解为拒绝和气味存在的证据。随后，他们试图摆脱气味，这往往会导致重复的行为或心理行为。由于大多数ORS文献涉及单个病例报告，因此很难就流行病学、现象学或ORS易感性和维持的关键因素得出结论。此外，似乎还不清楚ORS是一个实体，还是另一种精神障碍的表型。为了跟进这个问题，一组40名有嗅觉障碍的人(包括15名患有ORS的人)将进行几项实验，并与精神健康对照组进行比较。问题是：1.哪些相关特征将有嗅觉担忧但没有心理压力和重复行为或心理行为的个体与患有ORS(嗅觉担忧、心理紧张和重复行为或心理行为)的个体区分开来？应比较社交焦虑程度、对自己的体味的评级以及对气味的相信程度，即气味被他人闻到并判断为负面的程度。对自己体味的感知是ORS(内部触发)的基础，还是ORS(外部触发)的症状？行为分析应该探索外部触发因素是否会激活感知。此外，应检查可能被他人拒绝的情况(因为气味、外表或习惯)。有嗅觉障碍的个体的嗅觉辨别能力是不是还不够？这应通过提交嗅觉测试(自己的气味和陌生个人的气味)进行测试。4.ORS患者的嗅觉测试产生的情绪反应更强吗(与有嗅觉障碍但没有ORS的人和精神健康的对照组相比)？应通过模拟分析对其进行评估。有嗅觉障碍的人的体味与精神健康的人(指化合物)的体味有系统的不同吗？这应通过化学分析进行分析。上述研究有助于提高我们对ORS病因的认识。

Individuals suffering from Olfactory Reference Syndrome (ORS) are convinced that they emit an unpleasing body odor (although this odor is not perceived by others), which leads to social rejection. They misinterpret harmless gestures and facial expressions as rejection and evidence of the existence of the odor. Subsequently, they try to get rid of the odor, which often leads to repetitive behaviors or mental acts. Because most ORS-literature refers to single case reports, it is difficult to make conclusions about epidemiology, phenomenology, or key factors that underlie vulnerability to, and maintenance of, ORS. Further, it seems unclear, if ORS is an entity, or a phenotype of another mental disorder.To follow up this question, a group of 40 individuals with olfactory concerns (including 15 individuals suffering from ORS) shall run several experiments, in comparison to mentally healthy controls. The questions are:1. Which relevant feature separates individuals with olfactory concerns, but without psychological strain and repetitive behaviors or mental acts from individuals suffering from ORS (olfactory concerns, psychological strain and repetitive behaviors or mental acts)? The level of social anxiety, the rating of the own body odor, and the degree of the belief, the odor is smelled and judged as negative by others, shall be compared.2. Is perception of the own body odor the basis for ORS (internal trigger), or a symptom of ORS (external trigger)? Behavior analyses shall explore, whether external triggers activate perceptions. Moreover, a potentially rejection by others (because of odor, appearance, or habitus) shall be checked.3. Is the olfactory discrimination ability in individuals with olfactory concerns not sufficient? This shall be tested by presentation of olfactory tests (own odor, and odor of an unfamiliar individual). 4. Is the emotional response resulting from the olfactory tests stronger in ORS (compared to individuals with olfactory concerns, but without ORS, and mentally healthy controls)? This shall be evaluated by mimic analyses.5. Is the body odor of individuals with olfactory concerns systematically different from the body odor of mentally healthy individuals (referring to the chemical compounds)? This shall be analyzed by chemical analyses. The above-mentioned investigations may enhance our etiological understanding of ORS.