Chemosensory anxiety signals augment the startle reflex in humans

Prehn, Alexander; Ohrt, Anne; Sojka, Bernfried; Ferstl, Roman; Pause, Bettina M.

doi:10.1016/j.neulet.2005.10.012

Cited by 120 publications

(111 citation statements)

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“…To date, research on social modulation of behavior has focused primarily on observational learning and innate or nonassociative processes. Two recent studies have demonstrated an influence of fear-related chemosignals on associative learning in humans (Chen et al 2006;Prehn et al 2006), evidence that supports the hypothesis that social modulation of behavior extends to higher-order cognitive processing.In the following experiments, we asked whether exposure to a familiar mouse recently fear conditioned or trained for fear extinction would influence associative fear learning in a conspecific. We find that exposure to a recently fear-conditioned mouse impairs acquisition of conditioned fear, while the same experience facilitates the extinction of conditioned fear; effects mimicked by exposure to an olfactory chemosignal emitted from fearconditioned mice and by the putative anxiogenic pheromone, bphenylethylamine (b-PEA).…”

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Social modulation of associative fear learning by pheromone communication

Bredy¹,

Barad²

2008

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Mice communicate through visual, vocal, and olfactory cues that influence innate, nonassociative behavior. We here report that exposure to a recently fear-conditioned familiar mouse impairs acquisition of conditioned fear and facilitates fear extinction, effects mimicked by both an olfactory chemosignal emitted by a recently fear-conditioned familiar mouse and by the putative stress-related anxiogenic pheromone b-phenylethylamine (b-PEA). Together, these findings suggest social modulation of higher-order cognitive processing through pheromone communication and support the concurrent excitor hypothesis of extinction learning.Social communication in mammals has evolved to facilitate reproductive behavior and for protection against environmental threat and predation. Mice communicate information about imminent danger through vocal (Seyfarth and Cheney 2003), visual (Kavaliers et al. 2001;Langford et al. 2006), and odor or pheromone cues (Rottman and Snowdon 1972), each with profound influences on defensive responding. There is also evidence of social empathy in mice (Langford et al. 2006). Mice will sensitize to pain-inducing stimuli simply by observing a conspecific that is currently experiencing pain. Importantly, sensitization occurs only when the conspecific is familiar with the observer (i.e., sibling or cage mate), a clear example of social modulation of an innate behavior. Müller-Velten (1966) provided the first evidence of a functional alarm chemosignal in mice by showing that animals would avoid a pathway in which the odor of a stressed mouse was present. Subsequent studies have shown effects of mammalian olfactory chemosignals on a variety of defensive behaviors such as analgesia, vigilance, and avoidance (Rottman and Snowdon 1972;Mackay-Sim and Laing 1981;Fanselow 1985;Zalaquett and Thiessen 1991). To date, research on social modulation of behavior has focused primarily on observational learning and innate or nonassociative processes. Two recent studies have demonstrated an influence of fear-related chemosignals on associative learning in humans (Chen et al. 2006;Prehn et al. 2006), evidence that supports the hypothesis that social modulation of behavior extends to higher-order cognitive processing.In the following experiments, we asked whether exposure to a familiar mouse recently fear conditioned or trained for fear extinction would influence associative fear learning in a conspecific. We find that exposure to a recently fear-conditioned mouse impairs acquisition of conditioned fear, while the same experience facilitates the extinction of conditioned fear; effects mimicked by exposure to an olfactory chemosignal emitted from fearconditioned mice and by the putative anxiogenic pheromone, bphenylethylamine (b-PEA). Interestingly, we find that exposure to a recently extinction-trained mouse results in an inhibition of fear extinction learning, an effect not related to an olfactory chemosignal emitted by a recently extinguished mouse or by exposure to b-PEA. These data suggest that mice communicate inform...

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Social modulation of associative fear learning by pheromone communication

Bredy¹,

Barad²

2008

Learn. Mem.

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“…It should be noted, however, that our results are based on adult male axillary odors collected on cotton pads; collection of odor samples from women or prepubertal children who on average have weaker axillary odors (e.g., Chen and Haviland-Jones 1999) could require a different time period. Similarly, odors collected under some specific conditions (e.g., anxiety (Albrecht et al 2011) or extensive physical activity (Prehn et al 2006)) could be sampled over a shorter time as they are typically more intense. Furthermore, cotton pads attached directly to the armpit would in general require a shorter collection time as compared with the T-shirt paradigm where contact with the armpit is relatively loose.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Does Length of Sampling Affect Quality of Body Odor Samples?

et al. 2011

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A number of recent studies use body odor samples to study how odor affects various human social interactions. However, the methods used vary considerably, and only limited attention has been paid to the validity of the particular approaches adopted. One of the crucial points in body odor sampling is its length. Here we report the results of a study that tested the effects of using two different sampling periods, namely 12 and 24 h, on subsequent odor perception. Our results show significantly higher ratings of pleasantness and attractiveness, and lower ratings of intensity and masculinity, for the 12-h sampling condition. Further analysis of the data distribution suggests higher skew and a potential floor effect in hedonic ratings derived from the 24-h condition. These data imply that sampling length has a significant impact on perceived body odor quality and should thus be considered when designing studies in this area and in interpretation of results across studies

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“…Polyamines hybridized with inorganic oxide materials [e.g. SiO 2 , TiO 2 , ZnO, Al 2 O 3 or Mg(OH) 2 ] have also been shown to absorb odour [82].…”

Section: Odour Absorbersmentioning

confidence: 99%

Body malodours and their topical treatment agents

Kanlayavattanakul

Lourith

2011

Intern J of Cosmetic Sci

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SynopsisBody malodour, including foot odour, suppresses social interaction by diminishing self-confidence and accelerating damage to the wearer's clothes and shoes. Most treatment agents, including aluminium anti-perspirant salts, inhibit the growth of malodourous bacteria. These metallic salts also reduce sweat by blocking the excretory ducts of sweat glands, minimizing the water source that supports bacterial growth. However, there are some drawback effects that limit the use of aluminium anti-perspirant salts. In addition, over-the-counter anti-perspirant and deodourant products may not be sufficiently effective for heavy sweaters, and strong malodour producers. Body odour treatment agents are rarely mentioned in the literature compared with other cosmetic ingredients. This review briefly summarizes the relationship among sweat, skin bacteria, and body odour; describes how odourous acids, thiols, and steroids are formed; and discusses the active ingredients, including metallic salts and herbs, that are used to treat body odour. A new class of ingredients that function by regulating the release of malodourants will also be described. These ingredients do not alter the balance of the skin flora. Ré suméLes mauvaises odeurs corporelles, y compris celles des pieds, atté-nue l'interaction sociale en diminuant la confiance en soi et favorisant des dommages aux vêtements et aux chaussures portés. La plupart des agents inclus dans les traitements, y compris les sels d'aluminium antiperspirants, inhibent la croissance de bactéries malodorantes. Ces sels métalliques réduisent aussi la sueur en bloquant les canaux excréteurs des glandes sudoripares, réduisant ainsi au minimum l'eau, source de la croissance bactérienne. Cependant, il y a quelques inconvénients qui limitent l'utilisation de sels d'aluminium anti-transpirants. De plus, les produits antiperspirants et déodorants OTC peuvent ne pas être suffisamment efficaces pour des personnes produisant une grande quantité de sueur et producteurs de fortes odeurs. Les agents actifs sur les Odeurs corporelles sont rarement mentionnés dans la littérature comparativement à d'autres Ingrédients cosmétiques. Cette revue récapitule brièvement la relation entre la Sueur, les bactéries cutanées et l'odeur corporelle; elle décrit comment des acides odorants, des thiols, et des stéroïdes sont formés; et examine les principes actifs, y compris les sels métalliques et les végétaux utilisés pour traiter l'odeur corporelle. Une nouvelle classe d'ingrédients dont la fonction est de réguler la libération de mauvaises odeurs est également décrite. Ces ingrédients ne modifient pas l'équilibre de la flore cutanée.

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Chemosensory anxiety signals augment the startle reflex in humans

Cited by 120 publications

References 21 publications

Social modulation of associative fear learning by pheromone communication

Social modulation of associative fear learning by pheromone communication

Does Length of Sampling Affect Quality of Body Odor Samples?

Body malodours and their topical treatment agents

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