Olfactory reference syndrome: specifics, tactics of neuropsychological test and rehabilitation
Abstract
The article shows that the olfactory system is a warning system for detecting potentially harmful substances, situations, and context and is closely related to the attachment system in humans, changes in the olfactory system are considered as a neurocognitive marker of mental distress in depression, anxiety spectrum disorders, bipolar disorder, neurodegenerative disorders, schizophrenic spectrum disorders. Specific changes are observed in various components of the sense of smell, such as perception, identification and differentiation, memory for odors, as well as in the definition of hedonic valence. Depressive symptoms are noticeably prevalent in patients with loss of sense of smell due to inflammatory diseases of the upper respiratory tract, such as chronic rhinosinusitis and acute rhinosinusitis of viral origin. Based on the analyzed patient complaints, a preliminary classification of the spectrum of olfactory dysfunction is presented. Upon careful analysis of complaints from patients with olfactory dysfunction, excessive perception of odors bears some resemblance to social phobia, since it is characterized by a certain cognitive behavioral pattern, fears and attempts to avoid and reinsure oneself. He also has some overlapping symptoms with dysmorphophobia, obsessive-compulsive disorder and health anxiety. The specifics of neuropsychological examination of this group of patients and the tactics of cognitive behavioral therapy are presented.
About the Author
A. I. Melehin
P.A. Stolypin Humanitarian Institute
Russian Federation
Russian Federation
Stromynka str., 21 bldg. 2, Moscow, 107076, Phone: +7 (925) 873-30-04
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Review
For citations:
Melehin A.I. Olfactory reference syndrome: specifics, tactics of neuropsychological test and rehabilitation. Medical Psychology in Russia. 2023;15(3):28-40. (In Russ.)
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