TY - JOUR
T1 - Olfactory processing, sex effects and heterogeneity in schizophrenia
AU - Malaspina, Dolores
AU - Goetz, Raymond
AU - Keller, Andreas
AU - Messinger, Julie W.
AU - Bruder, Gerard
AU - Goetz, Deborah
AU - Opler, Mark
AU - Harlap, Susan
AU - Harkavy-Friedman, Jill
AU - Antonius, Daniel
PY - 2012/3
Y1 - 2012/3
N2 - Introduction: Smell identification deficits are associated with negative symptoms in schizophrenia, particularly in males. Far less information is known about the relationship of odor detection sensitivity (acuity) and negative symptoms in schizophrenia, and currently there is a dearth in sex-stratified research specifically examining odor sensitivity and smell identification. Methods: Fifty-eight individuals with schizophrenia and 42 healthy comparison subjects were assessed on tests of odor sensitivity, smell identification and cognition. Negative symptoms were assessed with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale and the Schedule for the Deficit Syndrome. Results: In healthy males, increased odor detection sensitivity predicted better smell identification scores. In contrast, male schizophrenia patients showed a significant inverse relationship, in which increased odor sensitivity predicted lower smell identification scores. Odor sensitivity and smell identification were unrelated in both schizophrenia and healthy females. Olfactory processing was strongly linked to negative symptoms, but the relationships differed by sex. Emotional expression deficits were related to odor detection hypersensitivity in female patients, whereas smell identification deficits predicted these emotional deficits in male cases. Conclusion: Sex differences in olfactory functioning were identified in healthy subjects and in schizophrenia patients. Smell identification was related to negative symptoms in males with schizophrenia, whereas odor detection sensitivity predicted these features in females. Sex differences should be considered in future analyses that employ odor stimuli for neuropsychiatric research.
AB - Introduction: Smell identification deficits are associated with negative symptoms in schizophrenia, particularly in males. Far less information is known about the relationship of odor detection sensitivity (acuity) and negative symptoms in schizophrenia, and currently there is a dearth in sex-stratified research specifically examining odor sensitivity and smell identification. Methods: Fifty-eight individuals with schizophrenia and 42 healthy comparison subjects were assessed on tests of odor sensitivity, smell identification and cognition. Negative symptoms were assessed with the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale and the Schedule for the Deficit Syndrome. Results: In healthy males, increased odor detection sensitivity predicted better smell identification scores. In contrast, male schizophrenia patients showed a significant inverse relationship, in which increased odor sensitivity predicted lower smell identification scores. Odor sensitivity and smell identification were unrelated in both schizophrenia and healthy females. Olfactory processing was strongly linked to negative symptoms, but the relationships differed by sex. Emotional expression deficits were related to odor detection hypersensitivity in female patients, whereas smell identification deficits predicted these emotional deficits in male cases. Conclusion: Sex differences in olfactory functioning were identified in healthy subjects and in schizophrenia patients. Smell identification was related to negative symptoms in males with schizophrenia, whereas odor detection sensitivity predicted these features in females. Sex differences should be considered in future analyses that employ odor stimuli for neuropsychiatric research.
KW - Negative symptoms
KW - Odor sensitivity
KW - Schizophrenia
KW - Sex differences
KW - Smell identification
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84856812163&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.schres.2011.11.025
DO - 10.1016/j.schres.2011.11.025
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C2 - 22177347
AN - SCOPUS:84856812163
SN - 0920-9964
VL - 135
SP - 144
EP - 151
JO - Schizophrenia Research
JF - Schizophrenia Research
IS - 1-3
ER -