Work

Odor-enhanced Visual Processing in PTSD

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Significant differences in the independent processing of trauma-related visual or olfactory cues have been demonstrated in posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Yet, it remains unclear if PTSD-related differences exist in how the olfactory and visual systems interact to process potential threat. The present fMRI study assessed odor-enhanced visual processing (i.e. greater activation in visual areas to combined odor-picture cues compared to picture cues presented alone) in 46 combat veterans (19 with PTSD (CV+PTSD) and 27 healthy controls (HCV)). As expected, general odor-enhanced visual processing was demonstrated in the overall group, and CV+PTSD, compared to HCV, demonstrated significantly more threat odor-enhanced visual cortical activation to neutral images. Unexpectedly, however, CV+PTSD, compared to HCV, demonstrated significantly less threat odor-enhanced visual cortical activation to combat-related images. Functional connectivity findings mirrored those results and indicated a PTSD-related increase in olfactory-visual connectivity with neutral images and decrease with combat-related images. These findings suggest potential sensory processing dysregulation in PTSD that could be based in an olfactory-visual coupling impairment. Findings are also consistent with a PTSD-related focus on potential threat that may override the need to process additional sensory information important for the biological functions that promote survival. • PTSD showed odor-enhanced visual processing of neutral, but not threatening, scenes. • PTSD showed widespread olfactory connectivity, regardless of the presence of an odor. • Enhanced olfactory connectivity in PTSD may underlie persistent odor-driven threat. • Basic multimodal sensory processing deficits may contribute to PTSD pathophysiology. • Results support a role for odors in the behavioral treatment of PTSD.

Source: NeuroImage

DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2025.121072

Authors: Aicko Y. Schumann, Thomas W. Uhde, David C. Houghton, Qing X. Yang, Bernadette M. Cortese

Institutions: Medical University of South Carolina, College of Charleston, The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, Pennsylvania State University, Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center

Language: English

Topic: Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Research

Subfield: Clinical Psychology

Field: Psychology

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,540