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Imai N, Osanai A, Moriya A, Katsuki M, Kitamura E. Classification of odors associated with migraine attacks: a cross-sectional study. Sci Rep 2023; 13:8469. [PMID: 37230996 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-35211-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2022] [Accepted: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 05/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Migraine, a common primary headache disorder, is associated with various factors such as stress, hormones in women, fasting, weather, and sleep disturbance as well as odors. We aimed to categorize odors associated with migraine and explore their relationships with clinical characteristics. A total of 101 migraineurs answered a questionnaire to determine the odors associated with migraine attacks. We performed factor analysis to explore the common factors of the odors and the relationship between these factors and the clinical characteristics. The factor analysis estimated six common factors: factor 1, fetid odor; factor 2, cooking products; factor 3, oil derivatives and others; factor 4, shampoo and conditioner; factor 5, cleaning products; factor 6, perfumes, insecticides, and rose. Factor 5 also included hair styling preparations, laundry detergent, and fabric softener, usually those with floral fragrances, and factor 5 was more likely to be associated with migraine attacks in patients with chronic migraine than in those with episodic migraine (P = 0.037). Our study showed that odors associated with migraine attacks could be categorized into six groups and suggested that some chemicals were more likely associated with migraine attacks in patients with chronic migraine than in those with episodic migraine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noboru Imai
- Department of Neurology, Japanese Red Cross Shizuoka Hospital, 8-2 Ohtemachi, Aoi-Ku, Shizuoka, Shizuoka, 420-0853, Japan.
| | - Ayako Osanai
- Department of Neurology, Japanese Red Cross Shizuoka Hospital, 8-2 Ohtemachi, Aoi-Ku, Shizuoka, Shizuoka, 420-0853, Japan
| | - Asami Moriya
- Department of Neurology, Japanese Red Cross Shizuoka Hospital, 8-2 Ohtemachi, Aoi-Ku, Shizuoka, Shizuoka, 420-0853, Japan
| | - Masahito Katsuki
- Department of Neurosurgery, Itoigawa General Hospital, Itoigawa, Niigata, Japan
| | - Eiji Kitamura
- Department of Neurology, Kitasato University, Sagamihara, Kanagawa, Japan
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2
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Ye Y, Nan Y, Wei R, Wu Y. Sex-specific effects of human chemosignal on perception of angry but not fearful faces. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2023; 151:106055. [PMID: 36822128 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2023.106055] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2022] [Revised: 02/10/2023] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 02/15/2023]
Abstract
Androsta-4,16,-dien-3-one (androstadienone), a steroids implicated as a human social chemosignal, has been reported to impact one's emotional perception along the valence axis. The current study takes a step further to examine whether it modulates the perception of angry and fearful faces, two negative emotions that are similar with respect to valence and arousal, but signal different social values. Systematic comparisons of psychophysical data collected from 40 heterosexual men and 45 heterosexual women revealed that androstadienone subconsciously biased heterosexual men toward perceiving the male faces as less angry, while it biased the heterosexual women toward perceiving the female faces as angrier. Meanwhile, androstadienone did not affect the perception of fearful faces in either men or women. These findings indicate that the modulation of androstadienone on negative emotional perceptions is not uniform, suggesting that it alters the perception of specific rather than general negative emotions. In particular, it impacts one's perception of anger, which signals impending aggression, and hence could further impact an individual's social interaction in a sex-specific manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuting Ye
- Institute of Psychology, School of Public Affairs, Xiamen University, No. 422, Siming South Road, Xiamen, Fujian, China
| | - Yu Nan
- Department of Applied Social Sciences, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, 11 Yuk Choi Rd, Hung Hom, Kowloon, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China; School of Psychology and Cognitive Science, East China Normal University, 3663 N. Zhongshan Road, Shanghai, China
| | - Ran Wei
- Liang Hua Middle School, Huidong County, Huizhou, Guangdong, China
| | - Yin Wu
- Department of Applied Social Sciences, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, 11 Yuk Choi Rd, Hung Hom, Kowloon, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China; Research Institute for Sports Science and Technology, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, 11 Yuk Choi Rd, Hung Hom, Kowloon, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of China.
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Kern DW, Kaufmann GT, Hummer TA, Schumm LP, Wroblewski KE, Pinto JM, McClintock MK. Androstadienone sensitivity is associated with attention to emotions, social interactions, and sexual behavior in older U.S. adults. PLoS One 2023; 18:e0280082. [PMID: 36638090 PMCID: PMC9838868 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0280082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Δ 4,16-androstadien-3-one (androstadienone) is a putative human pheromone often linked to sexual attraction in young adults, although specific associations with sexual behavior are not yet established. Androstadienone also serves a broader social-emotional function beyond the sexual domain, specifically tuning the brain to efficiently process emotional information. Whether these effects persist throughout the lifespan into post-reproductive life is unknown. In a laboratory study of older adults, those with greater androstadienone odor sensitivity paid greater attention to subliminal emotional information, specifically, angry faces (p = 0.05), with a similar relationship to happy faces. In contrast, the physical odor n-butanol (a control) did not affect emotional attention (p = 0.49). We then extended this laboratory research and determined whether sensitivity to androstadienone affects the everyday lives of older adults by measuring their social and sexual behavior. In this second study, we surveyed in a nationally representative sample of US older adults living in their homes (National Social Life and Aging Project, 62-90 years; n = 2,086), along with their sensitivity to androstadienone, general olfactory function, health and demographics. Greater sensitivity to androstadienone was associated with richer social lives: having more friends, increased communication with close friends and family, and more participation in organized social events and volunteer activities (all p's ≤ 0.05, generalized linear models, adjusted for age and gender). It was also associated with more recent sexual activity, more frequent sexual thoughts, and viewing sex as an important part of life (all p's ≤ 0.05). General olfactory function did not explain these associations, supporting a specialized function for this pheromone during everyday life, and expanding its role to social life as well as sexual behavior, likely mediated by enhanced attention to emotional information.
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Affiliation(s)
- David W. Kern
- Isidore Newman School, New Orleans, Louisiana, United States of America
| | - Gabriel T. Kaufmann
- Pritzker School of Medicine, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Tom A. Hummer
- Department of Psychiatry, Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, Indiana, United States of America
| | - L. Philip Schumm
- Department of Public Health Sciences, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Kristen E. Wroblewski
- Department of Public Health Sciences, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Jayant M. Pinto
- Department of Surgery, Section of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Martha K. McClintock
- Department of Psychology, The Institute for Mind and Biology, The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
- * E-mail:
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4
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Wu Y, Zheng L, Niu C. Androstadienone influences women's perception of happiness and anger on same-sex faces: Preliminary findings. Biol Psychol 2022; 170:108293. [PMID: 35240247 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsycho.2022.108293] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2021] [Revised: 02/27/2022] [Accepted: 02/27/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
This study investigated whether androstadienone (AND) influences women's emotional perception of potential mates and rivals in a manner that promotes women's reproductive success. Sixty participants (29 in the fertile phase and 31 in the luteal phase) rated their perception of happiness, sadness, anger and sexual arousal from male and female neutral faces during exposure to AND or control solution on two consecutive days. The results showed that AND led women to perceive neutral female faces as unhappier, regardless of their menstrual cycle phase. In addition, AND led women in the fertile phase (i.e., periovulatory phase) to perceive more anger from neutral female faces. Further, no AND-effects were found on the emotional perception of male faces, nor were there perceptions of the sadness or sexual arousal in female faces. These findings may suggest that AND influences women's cognitive processing that can benefit women from staying away from potential threats or preparing to reduce the costs of intrasexual competition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yue Wu
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (Ministry of Education), Southwest University, Chongqing, China; Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
| | - Lijun Zheng
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (Ministry of Education), Southwest University, Chongqing, China; Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China.
| | - Caoyuan Niu
- Key Laboratory of Cognition and Personality (Ministry of Education), Southwest University, Chongqing, China; Faculty of Psychology, Southwest University, Chongqing, China
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Leongómez JD, Sánchez OR, Vásquez-Amézquita M, Roberts SC. Contextualising courtship: Exploring male body odour effects on vocal modulation. Behav Processes 2021; 193:104531. [PMID: 34655713 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2021.104531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2020] [Revised: 06/26/2020] [Accepted: 10/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Voice characteristics are important to communicate socially relevant information. Recent research has shown that individuals alter their voices depending on the context of social interactions and perceived characteristics of the audience, and this affects how they are perceived. Numerous studies have also shown that the presence of bodily odours can elicit psychological changes in people. Here, we tested whether the presence of male axillary odour would influence vocal modulations in courtship contexts. We analysed differences in vocal parameters and attractiveness ratings across 950 recordings from 80 participants as they responded to opposite-sex target stimuli. Using these, we tested whether men's and women's vocal parameters and perceived stimuli attractiveness differed in the presence or absence of the odour. We expected women to speak with increased voice F0, and men to lower their pitch, when exposed to male body odour, especially if it were of high quality. However, neither the presence of male odour, its quality, nor the addition of androstadienone produced any consistent changes in vocal parameters. Nevertheless, rated stimulus attractiveness was predicted by F0 and especially F0 variability, suggesting that this is a key parameter in signalling attraction during human courtship, and supporting the idea that vocal modulations are context-sensitive.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan David Leongómez
- Human Behaviour Lab, Faculty of Psychology, Universidad El Bosque, Bogota 110121, Colombia; Division of Psychology, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, UK.
| | - Oscar R Sánchez
- Human Behaviour Lab, Faculty of Psychology, Universidad El Bosque, Bogota 110121, Colombia.
| | - Milena Vásquez-Amézquita
- Experimental Psychology Lab, Faculty of Psychology, Universidad El Bosque, Bogota 110121, Colombia.
| | - S Craig Roberts
- Division of Psychology, University of Stirling, Stirling FK9 4LA, UK.
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Damon F, Mezrai N, Magnier L, Leleu A, Durand K, Schaal B. Olfaction in the Multisensory Processing of Faces: A Narrative Review of the Influence of Human Body Odors. Front Psychol 2021; 12:750944. [PMID: 34675855 PMCID: PMC8523678 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.750944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2021] [Accepted: 09/06/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
A recent body of research has emerged regarding the interactions between olfaction and other sensory channels to process social information. The current review examines the influence of body odors on face perception, a core component of human social cognition. First, we review studies reporting how body odors interact with the perception of invariant facial information (i.e., identity, sex, attractiveness, trustworthiness, and dominance). Although we mainly focus on the influence of body odors based on axillary odor, we also review findings about specific steroids present in axillary sweat (i.e., androstenone, androstenol, androstadienone, and estratetraenol). We next survey the literature showing body odor influences on the perception of transient face properties, notably in discussing the role of body odors in facilitating or hindering the perception of emotional facial expression, in relation to competing frameworks of emotions. Finally, we discuss the developmental origins of these olfaction-to-vision influences, as an emerging literature indicates that odor cues strongly influence face perception in infants. Body odors with a high social relevance such as the odor emanating from the mother have a widespread influence on various aspects of face perception in infancy, including categorization of faces among other objects, face scanning behavior, or facial expression perception. We conclude by suggesting that the weight of olfaction might be especially strong in infancy, shaping social perception, especially in slow-maturing senses such as vision, and that this early tutoring function of olfaction spans all developmental stages to disambiguate a complex social environment by conveying key information for social interactions until adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabrice Damon
- Developmental Ethology and Cognitive Psychology Laboratory, Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l’Alimentation, Inrae, AgroSup Dijon, CNRS (UMR 6265), Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté, Dijon, France
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7
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He J, Jin L, Guan Y, Zi H. Attentional bias toward waiting time information among individuals with high and low trait self-control when making intertemporal choices. JOURNAL OF COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.1080/20445911.2020.1807998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jiamei He
- Department of Psychology, Liaoning Normal University, Dalian, People’s Republic of China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Healthy Personality Assessment and Cultivation of Children and Adolescents in Liaoning Province, Dalian, People’s Republic of China
| | - Lei Jin
- Department of Psychology, Liaoning Normal University, Dalian, People’s Republic of China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Healthy Personality Assessment and Cultivation of Children and Adolescents in Liaoning Province, Dalian, People’s Republic of China
| | - Yuan Guan
- Department of Psychology, Liaoning Normal University, Dalian, People’s Republic of China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Healthy Personality Assessment and Cultivation of Children and Adolescents in Liaoning Province, Dalian, People’s Republic of China
| | - Hongyan Zi
- Department of Psychology, Liaoning Normal University, Dalian, People’s Republic of China
- Collaborative Innovation Center of Healthy Personality Assessment and Cultivation of Children and Adolescents in Liaoning Province, Dalian, People’s Republic of China
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8
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Calvi E, Quassolo U, Massaia M, Scandurra A, D'Aniello B, D'Amelio P. The scent of emotions: A systematic review of human intra- and interspecific chemical communication of emotions. Brain Behav 2020; 10:e01585. [PMID: 32212329 PMCID: PMC7218249 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.1585] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2019] [Revised: 01/05/2020] [Accepted: 02/09/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE The sense of olfaction has been considered of minor importance in human communication. In recent years, evidence has emerged that humans might be influenced by unconscious messages sent through chemosignals in body odors. Data concerning the ability of humans to recognize fear, maybe related to the evolutionary role of these emotions in the fight-or-flight reactions, are well known. METHODS To further understand the role of emotional chemosignals in mediating communication in humans and its influence on animal behaviors, we conducted a systematic literature review. RESULTS Chemosignals derived from axillary odors collected under a variety of emotional stimuli and sad tears in humans affect receivers' social interactions, danger detection and risk-taking behavior, social aspects of eating, and performance under stressing conditions. In addition, beyond the fight-or-flight response, even the body odors of happiness can be perceived by others. Furthermore, human chemosignals can influence behaviors and stressful responses in animals, particularly dogs and horses, which may partially explain their special relationship with humans. CONCLUSION Our review highlights the importance of chemosignaling in human intra- and interspecific interactions and suggests the need for further investigations, both in physiological conditions and in patients with psychiatric or neurodegenerative disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Calvi
- Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Umberto Quassolo
- Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | | | - Anna Scandurra
- Department of Biology, University of Naples "Federico II", Naples, Italy
| | - Biagio D'Aniello
- Department of Biology, University of Naples "Federico II", Naples, Italy
| | - Patrizia D'Amelio
- Department of Medical Sciences, University of Turin, Turin, Italy.,Department of Medicine, Geriatric Medicine and Geriatric Rehabilitation, CHUV, Lausanne University Hospital, Lausanne, Switzerland
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Syrjänen E, Fischer H, Olofsson JK. Background odors affect behavior in a dot-probe task with emotionally expressive faces. Physiol Behav 2019; 210:112540. [PMID: 31104855 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2019.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2018] [Revised: 04/22/2019] [Accepted: 05/02/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Odors affect perception of social cues in visual environments. Although often underestimated, people use their sense of smell to guide approach or avoidance behavior in social contexts. However, underlying psychological mechanisms are not well known. Prior work suggested olfactory effects are due to increased attention or arousal, or depend on the congruency between olfactory and visual cues. Our aim was to assess how odors influence attentional processes using a dot-probe task with odor-congruent and odor-incongruent facial expressions (happy, disgusted and neutral expressions paired with pleasant odor, unpleasant odor and no-odor). In a preregistered analysis plan, we hypothesized either faster reaction times attributed to arousal from odors in general, or to faces that were emotionally congruent with the odors. We also hypothesized time-on-task effects specific to the odor compared to the control condition. Using Bayesian linear models, we found strong evidence that the faces were rated as more arousing and emotional in odor contexts. However, the dot-probe task did in fact not provide an effective cue to selective visual attention, and odors did not modulate overall attention to the faces. However, we found a time-on-task effect such that in the unpleasant odor condition, response times decreased over time, whereas in the no-odor and pleasant condition there was a slight increase in response times. We conclude that time-on-task effects is an interesting venue for odor-visual interaction research, and such effects might explain inconsistent findings in the prior research literature.
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Banner A, Gabay S, Shamay-Tsoory S. Androstadienone, a putative chemosignal of dominance, increases gaze avoidance among men with high social anxiety. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2019; 102:9-15. [PMID: 30481725 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2018.11.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2018] [Revised: 11/16/2018] [Accepted: 11/19/2018] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Socially anxious individuals show increased sensitivity toward social threat signals, including cues of dominance. This sensitivity may account for the hypervigilance and gaze avoidance commonly reported in individuals with social anxiety. This study examines visual scanning behavior in response to androstadienone (androsta-4,16,-dien-3-one), a putative chemosignal of dominance. We tested whether exposure to androstadienone would increase hypervigilance and gaze avoidance among individuals with high social anxiety. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled, within-subject design, 26 participants with high social anxiety and 26 with low social anxiety were exposed to androstadienone and a control solution on two separate days. On each day, an eye-tracker recorded their spontaneous scanning behavior while they viewed facial images of men depicting dominant and neutral poses. The results indicate that among participants with high social anxiety, androstadienone increased gaze avoidance by reducing the percentage of fixations made to the eye-region and the total amount of time spent gazing at the eye-region of the faces. Participants with low social anxiety did not show this effect. These findings indicate that androstadienone serves as a threatening chemosignal of dominance, further supporting the link between hypersensitivity toward social threat cues and the perpetuation of social anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Banner
- Department of Psychology, University of Haifa, Abba Khoushy Ave 199, Haifa, Israel.
| | - S Gabay
- Department of Psychology, University of Haifa, Abba Khoushy Ave 199, Haifa, Israel; The Institute of Information Processing and Decision Making, University of Haifa, Abba Khoushy Ave 199, Haifa, Israel
| | - S Shamay-Tsoory
- Department of Psychology, University of Haifa, Abba Khoushy Ave 199, Haifa, Israel
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Banner A, Frumin I, Shamay-Tsoory SG. Androstadienone, a Chemosignal Found in Human Sweat, Increases Individualistic Behavior and Decreases Cooperative Responses in Men. Chem Senses 2019; 43:189-196. [PMID: 29390162 DOI: 10.1093/chemse/bjy002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
A growing body of evidence suggests that humans can communicate socially relevant information, such as aggression, dominance, and readiness for competition, through chemosensory signals. Androstadienone (androsta-4,16,-dien-3-one), a testosterone-derived compound found in men's axillary sweat, is a main candidate for a human pheromone that may convey such information. The current study aimed to investigate whether androstadienone serves as a chemosignaling threat cue to men, thus triggering avoidance behavior during competitive interaction with another man. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled, within-subject study design, 30 healthy, normosmic, heterosexual male participants completed the social orientation paradigm (SOP), a monetary game played against a fictitious partner that allows 3 types of responses to be measured in the context of provocation: an aggressive response, an individualistic withdrawal response, and a cooperative response. Participants completed the SOP task twice, once under exposure to androstadienone and once under exposure to a control solution. The results indicate that androstadienone increased individualistic responses while it decreased cooperative responses. These findings support the role of androstadienone as a threatening signal of dominance that elicits behavioral avoidance and social withdrawal tendencies, possibly as a submissive response.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amir Banner
- Department of Psychology, University of Haifa, Haifa, Israel
| | - Idan Frumin
- Department of Neurobiology, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot, Israel.,Basic Sciences Division, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, Seattle, WA, USA
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Hornung J, Noack H, Kogler L, Derntl B. Exploring the fMRI based neural correlates of the dot probe task and its modulation by sex and body odor. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2019; 99:87-96. [PMID: 30216766 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2018.08.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2018] [Revised: 08/28/2018] [Accepted: 08/28/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
The dot probe task implicitly cues attention via emotional information, an effect which is especially pronounced for threat-related cues. However, several questions remain unexplored. The first one is whether chemosignals like the androgen-derivative androstadienone can influence such attentional biases. Second, few studies have addressed sex differences regarding attentional biases. Finally, the neural correlates of these potential behavioral effects based on functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) are not known. In two experiments we aimed to answer these questions. A total of 159 healthy individuals (58 oral-contraceptive-users, 42 luteal women, 59 men) were tested. In experiment 1 (behavioral study) we examined attentional biases behaviorally, while in experiment 2 (fMRI study) the dot probe task was complemented by fMRI. Our results provide robust evidence that in healthy participants fearful but not angry or happy faces lead to a strong general attentional bias. Elucidating the neural basis of this effects points to an early processing advantage in bilateral thalamus for valid compared to invalid cued fear. However, this finding was limited to those participants with the strongest attentional biases and was not linked to behavioral measures. Furthermore, no consistent sex or group differences existed neither did the putative human chemosignal androstadienone reliably modulate attentional biases or change neural processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonas Hornung
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical School, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
| | - Hannes Noack
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical School, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany; Lead Graduate School, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Lydia Kogler
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical School, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Birgit Derntl
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Medical School, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany; Werner Reichardt Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany; Lead Graduate School, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
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13
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Banner A, Shamay-Tsoory S. Effects of androstadienone on dominance perception in males with low and high social anxiety. Psychoneuroendocrinology 2018; 95:138-144. [PMID: 29859341 DOI: 10.1016/j.psyneuen.2018.05.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2018] [Revised: 05/23/2018] [Accepted: 05/23/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Increasing evidence suggests that humans can communicate both trait-dominance and state-dominance via body odor. Androstadienone (androsta-4,16,-dien-3-one), a chemosignal found in human sweat, seems to be a likely candidate for signaling dominance in humans. The aim of the current study was to investigate the effects of androstadienone on the perception of social dominance. Moreover, we examined whether high levels of social anxiety, a psychopathology involving concerns that specifically pertain to social dominance, are associated with increased sensitivity to androstadienone as a chemical cue of dominance. In a double-blind, placebo-controlled, within-subject design, 64 heterosexual male participants (32 with high social anxiety and 32 with low social anxiety) viewed facial images of males depicting dominant, neutral and submissive postures, and were asked to recognize and rate the dominance expressed in those images. Participants completed the task twice, once under exposure to androstadienone and once under exposure to a control solution. The results indicate that androstadienone increased the perceived dominance of men's faces, specifically among participants with high social anxiety. These findings suggest a direct influence of androstadienone on dominance perception and further highlight the preferential processing of dominance and social threat signals evident in social anxiety.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amir Banner
- Department of Psychology, University of Haifa, Abba Khoushy Ave 199, Haifa, Israel.
| | - Simone Shamay-Tsoory
- Department of Psychology, University of Haifa, Abba Khoushy Ave 199, Haifa, Israel
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14
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The human body odor compound androstadienone increases neural conflict coupled to higher behavioral costs during an emotional Stroop task. Neuroimage 2018; 171:364-375. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroimage.2018.01.027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2017] [Revised: 11/22/2017] [Accepted: 01/11/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
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Hornung J, Noack H, Thomas M, Farger G, Nieratschker V, Freiherr J, Derntl B. Bayesian informed evidence against modulation of androstadienone-effects by genotypic receptor variants and participant sex: A study assessing Stroop interference control, mood and olfaction. Horm Behav 2018; 98:45-54. [PMID: 29246659 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2017.12.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2017] [Revised: 11/29/2017] [Accepted: 12/09/2017] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
The androgen derivative androstadienone (AND) is present in human sweat and may act as human chemosignal. Though effects of AND have been reported with respect to emotional and cognitive processes, results have been highly inconsistent. For this reason, it is likely that AND-action is dependent on modulatory factors. Here we wanted to specifically investigate the impact of genotypic variations of the AND-receptor OR7D4, as well as the influence of participant sex and concomitant hormonal fluctuations on AND-action during emotional interference processing, olfactory performance and mood assessments. To this end 80 healthy individuals (women taking oral contraceptives; naturally cycling women measured during the luteal phase and men) were tested twice on two consecutive days (AND vs. placebo exposure) with an emotional Stroop task. Also, olfactory performance and mood was assessed. Participants provided saliva samples to measure testosterone, progesterone and estradiol and a blood sample to assess genotypic variations of the AND-receptor OR7D4. We found a small task-dependent reduction of overall error rates under AND but no modulation of effects by genetic variation or group (female OC, female NC, male) with respect to olfactory performance and mood. Additional analyses with help of Bayesian statistics gave strong evidence in favor of specific null hypotheses suggesting that the action of AND was not modulated by either genotypic variations or sex of participants with respect to interference control (bias indices), olfactory self-reports and mood parameters. Additional effects of AND in connection with hormonal fluctuations are reported.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonas Hornung
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
| | - Hannes Noack
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany; Lead Graduate School, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Mara Thomas
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Gisbert Farger
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Vanessa Nieratschker
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany; Werner Reichardt Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Jessica Freiherr
- Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Universitätsklinikum RWTH Aachen, Aachen, Germany; Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging IVV, Freising, Germany
| | - Birgit Derntl
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany; Werner Reichardt Centre for Integrative Neuroscience, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany; Lead Graduate School, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
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