Olfactory Discrimination and Transient Mood Change in Young Men and Women: Variation by Season, Mood State, and Time of Day

Abstract

Odor performance varies by clinical state and gender, though little is known about its variation by season or time of day. Many odors, including lavender, induce transient mood changes. This study explored discrimination differences between various lavender oil blends and their effects on transient mood in the morning and evening in depressed and nondepressed adults. We also determined seasonal influences on these measures. A total of 169 subjects, 98 women and 71 men (mean age +/- SD, 19.3 +/- 1.6 y) participated, with different subjects studied at different times of the year. The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) classified subjects as depressed (score > or =10; N= 57) or nondepressed (score <10; N= 112). In the discrimination test, subjects compared pairs of two different lavender oil blends or a control. Transient change in mood was assessed by the Profile of Mood States (POMS) after each trial of five lavender blends interspersed by three control odors. Tests were conducted in the morning (08:00-10:00 h) and evening (18:00-20:00h). In all subjects, discrimination was significantly better for some odor pairs than for others, thus demonstrating test specificity. Discrimination was better overall in the fall than winter/spring and better in depressed than nondepressed subjects for specific odor pairs. No significant gender or time-of-day differences in discriminability were detected. There were, however, significant group differences in transient mood profiles. Current depressed state affected mood response, with lavender increasing anger in depressed subjects only. In addition, depressed subjects and men, whether or not depressed, exhibited diurnal mood variation, with better mood in the evening; the former group also showed more evening energy. All subjects were more confused in the morning than evening. Season also affected transient mood; winter/spring-tested subjects reported more vigor than fall-tested subjects. In addition, summer-tested subjects showed more tension in the morning, whereas fall-tested subjects showed the opposite pattern in the evening. In all subjects, lavender increased fatigue, tension, confusion, and total mood disturbance, and it decreased vigor. The study showed that both chronobiological (seasonal and time-of-day) and clinical factors modify discrimination and mood response to odors. Brief lavender odor presentation may serve as a nonphotic method for altering mood in young depressed and nondepressed adults particularly during the fall, a time of heightened discriminability.

Depressive symptoms and olfactory function in older adults

“…43 Two studies addressed possible relationship between depressive symptoms and olfactory function in non-clinical young adults. 44,45 In both studies, no association was found between olfactory discrimination and depressive symptoms assessed with the BDI. In one of these studies some correlation was observed between the BDI scores and olfactory thresholds measured with the Sniffin Sticks.…”

Sadness might isolate you in a non-smelling world: olfactory perception and depression

“…Olfactory discrimination scores were assessed in young adults (mean age: 19.3 ± 1.6) by Goel and Grasso (2004). The olfactory discrimination test included 7 items and was based on five different blends of commercially available lavender oil.…”

“…As olfactory functions have been repeatedly reported to decline with age (e.g., Doty et al, 1984a; Hummel et al, 2007), in these two studies, effects of age might have overshadowed effects of depression, resulting in overall low olfactory performances, which are unlikely to be further reduced by psychiatric symptoms. In addition, one study (Goel and Grasso, 2004) indicated that olfactory discrimination performance for certain odors might even be increased during depressive mood states.…”

Effect of aromatherapy with orange essential oil on salivary cortisol and pulse rate in children during dental treatment: A randomized controlled clinical trial

“…[39] According to several researches, odors can modulate cognition,[10] mood,[11] and behavior. [12] There is a powerful connection between odors and memories, especially those from the distant past, charged with emotional significance due to major anatomical connections existing between brain structures such as the hypothalamus and limbic system which are involved in emotion and memory.…”