Olfactory and Neuropsychological Functioning in Olfactory Reference Syndrome

Abstract

Olfactory reference syndrome (ORS) is an underrecognized, understudied, and often severe psychiatric disorder characterized by a prominent and distressing or impairing preoccupation with a false belief of emitting an offensive body odor. As this condition has only recently been recognized in the International Classification of Diseases (the 11th Edition), no empirical evidence exists about the underlying features and etiology of the disorder. To examine the neuropsychological and olfactory functioning of individuals with ORS and address whether there is central nervous system or sensory dysfunction associated with the condition. In this preliminary investigation, 9 consecutive participants with ORS completed a structured clinical interview and neuropsychological and olfaction evaluations. A proportion of individuals with ORS displayed deficits in aspects of cognitive functioning (i.e., processing speed, executive functioning, recognition memory bias for ORS-related words), olfaction functioning (i.e., odor detection and discrimination), and emotional processing. Based on these preliminary findings of cognitive, olfaction, and emotional processing deficits in individuals with ORS, further neuropsychological and olfaction studies are needed that better characterize this understudied patient group and address this study's limitations.