Odor awareness modulates the association between perceived stress and chemosensory anhedonia in women

Abstract

Chronic stress alters reward sensitivity and contributes to anhedonia. Chemosensation is dominated by a hedonic dimension, but little is known about the association between chronic perceived stress and hedonic chemosensation in non‐clinical populations. In the current study, 325 participants (201 females) completed a questionnaire‐based survey measuring their chronic perceived stress (Perceived Stress Scale; PSS), chemosensory pleasure (Chemosensory Pleasure Scale; CPS), and olfactory metacognitive abilities (odor awareness, affective impact of odor, importance of olfaction). For females, higher PSS scores significantly predicted lower CPS scores, which is mediated by the positive odor awareness. Moreover, negative odor awareness was identified as a moderator underlying the relationship between PSS and CPS scores in females but not in males. For females, higher PSS predicted lower CPS for those with lower, but not for those with higher levels of negative odor awareness. These results show that the link between chronic perceived stress and chemosensory anhedonia is pronounced in females, with olfactory perception playing a key role. The current study provides insights into the understanding of stress‐related anhedonia and into the development of effective treatments.