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Olfactory identification dysfunction, aggression and impulsivity in war veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder.
Psychol Med. 2008 Apr; 38(4):523-31.PM

Abstract

BACKGROUND

Due to neuropsychological conceptualizations of orbitoprefrontal cortex (OFC) dysfunction underpinning impulsive aggression and the incidence of such behaviour in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), this study aimed to explore olfactory identification (OI) ability in war veterans with PTSD as a probe of putative OFC dysfunction; and to explore the utility of OI ability in predicting aggressive and impulsive behavior in this clinical population.

METHOD

Participants comprised 31 out-patient male war veterans with PTSD (mean=58.23 years, s.d.=2.56) recruited from a Melbourne Veterans Psychiatry Unit, and 31 healthy age- and gender-matched controls (mean=56.84 years, s.d.=7.24). All participants were assessed on clinical measures of PTSD, depression, anxiety, and alcohol misuse; olfactory identification; neurocognitive measures of dorsolateral prefrontal, lateral prefrontal and mesial temporal functioning; and self-report measures of aggression and impulsivity.

RESULTS

War veterans with PTSD exhibited significant OI deficits (OIDs) compared to controls, despite uncompromised performance on cognitive measures. OIDs remained after covaring for IQ, anxiety, depression and alcohol misuse, and were significant predictors of aggression and impulsivity.

CONCLUSIONS

This research contributes to emerging evidence of orbitoprefrontal dysfunction in the pathophysiology underlying PTSD. This is the first study to report OIDs as a predictor of aggression and impulsivity in this clinical population. It prompts further exploration of the potential diagnostic utility of OIDs in the assessment of PTSD. Such measures may help delineate the clinical complexity of PTSD, and support more targeted interventions for individuals with a greater susceptibility to aggressive and impulsive behaviors.

Authors+Show Affiliations

Dileo JF
Department of Psychology, University of Melbourne, Australia.
Brewer WJ
No affiliation info available
Hopwood M
No affiliation info available
Anderson V
No affiliation info available
Creamer M
No affiliation info available

MeSH

AggressionAlcoholismAnxietyArousalCombat DisordersDepressionHumansImpulsive BehaviorMaleMiddle AgedNeuropsychological TestsOlfaction DisordersPrefrontal CortexTemporal LobeVeterans

Pub Type(s)

Journal Article
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Language

eng

PubMed ID

17903334

Citation

Dileo, J F., et al. "Olfactory Identification Dysfunction, Aggression and Impulsivity in War Veterans With Post-traumatic Stress Disorder." Psychological Medicine, vol. 38, no. 4, 2008, pp. 523-31.
Dileo JF, Brewer WJ, Hopwood M, et al. Olfactory identification dysfunction, aggression and impulsivity in war veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder. Psychol Med. 2008;38(4):523-31.
Dileo, J. F., Brewer, W. J., Hopwood, M., Anderson, V., & Creamer, M. (2008). Olfactory identification dysfunction, aggression and impulsivity in war veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder. Psychological Medicine, 38(4), 523-31.
Dileo JF, et al. Olfactory Identification Dysfunction, Aggression and Impulsivity in War Veterans With Post-traumatic Stress Disorder. Psychol Med. 2008;38(4):523-31. PubMed PMID: 17903334.
* Article titles in AMA citation format should be in sentence-case
TY - JOUR T1 - Olfactory identification dysfunction, aggression and impulsivity in war veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder. AU - Dileo,J F, AU - Brewer,W J, AU - Hopwood,M, AU - Anderson,V, AU - Creamer,M, Y1 - 2007/10/01/ PY - 2007/10/2/pubmed PY - 2008/7/9/medline PY - 2007/10/2/entrez SP - 523 EP - 31 JF - Psychological medicine JO - Psychol Med VL - 38 IS - 4 N2 - BACKGROUND: Due to neuropsychological conceptualizations of orbitoprefrontal cortex (OFC) dysfunction underpinning impulsive aggression and the incidence of such behaviour in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), this study aimed to explore olfactory identification (OI) ability in war veterans with PTSD as a probe of putative OFC dysfunction; and to explore the utility of OI ability in predicting aggressive and impulsive behavior in this clinical population. METHOD: Participants comprised 31 out-patient male war veterans with PTSD (mean=58.23 years, s.d.=2.56) recruited from a Melbourne Veterans Psychiatry Unit, and 31 healthy age- and gender-matched controls (mean=56.84 years, s.d.=7.24). All participants were assessed on clinical measures of PTSD, depression, anxiety, and alcohol misuse; olfactory identification; neurocognitive measures of dorsolateral prefrontal, lateral prefrontal and mesial temporal functioning; and self-report measures of aggression and impulsivity. RESULTS: War veterans with PTSD exhibited significant OI deficits (OIDs) compared to controls, despite uncompromised performance on cognitive measures. OIDs remained after covaring for IQ, anxiety, depression and alcohol misuse, and were significant predictors of aggression and impulsivity. CONCLUSIONS: This research contributes to emerging evidence of orbitoprefrontal dysfunction in the pathophysiology underlying PTSD. This is the first study to report OIDs as a predictor of aggression and impulsivity in this clinical population. It prompts further exploration of the potential diagnostic utility of OIDs in the assessment of PTSD. Such measures may help delineate the clinical complexity of PTSD, and support more targeted interventions for individuals with a greater susceptibility to aggressive and impulsive behaviors. SN - 0033-2917 UR - https://www.unboundmedicine.com/medline/citation/17903334/Olfactory_identification_dysfunction_aggression_and_impulsivity_in_war_veterans_with_post_traumatic_stress_disorder_ DB - PRIME DP - Unbound Medicine ER -