TY - JOUR A1 - Albrecht, Jessica A1 - Anzinger, Andrea A1 - Kopietz, Rainer A1 - Schöpf, Veronika A1 - Kleemann, Anna Maria A1 - Pollatos, Olga A1 - Wiesmann, Martin T1 - Test-retest reliability of the olfactory detection threshold test of the Sniffin' Sticks N2 - The aim of the present study was to investigate the test-retest reliability of the olfactory detection threshold subtest of the Sniffin" Sticks test battery, if administered repeatedly on 4 time points. The detection threshold test was repeatedly conducted in 64 healthy subjects. On the first testing session, the threshold test was accomplished 3 times (T(1) = 0 min, T(2) = 35 min, and T(3) = 105 min), representing a short-term testing. A fourth threshold test was conducted on a second testing session (T(4) = 35.1 days after the first testing session), representing a long-term testing. The average scores for olfactory detection threshold for n-butanol did not differ significantly across the 4 points of time. The test-retest reliability (Pearson"s r) between the 4 time points of threshold testing were in a range of 0.43-0.85 (P < 0.01). These results support the notion that the olfactory detection threshold test is a highly reliable method for repeated olfactory testing, even if the test is repeated more than once per day and over a long-term period. It is concluded that the olfactory detection threshold test of the Sniffin" Sticks is suitable for repeated testing during experimental or clinical studies. Y1 - 2008 UR - http://chemse.oxfordjournals.org/ SN - 0379-864X ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Herbert, B. A1 - Pollatos, Olga T1 - Interozeptive Sensitivität, Gefühle und Verhaltensregulation N2 - The processing of afferent bodily signals is not only of great importance for the control of homeostatic and adaptive processes within the body but, in combination with the perceptibility of internal, bodily reactions ("interoceptive sensitivity"), also influences the regulation of complex cognitive, emotional and behavioral processes. This review article outlines the theoretical basis of interoceptive sensititivity and illustrates recent neuroscientific research and results. Y1 - 2008 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Pollatos, Olga A1 - Herbert, Beate M. A1 - Schandry, Rainer A1 - Gramann, Klaus T1 - Impaired central processing of emotional faces in anorexia nervosa N2 - OBJECTIVES: To elucidate the potential relationship between classification of emotional faces and impaired central processing in eating disorders and to investigate the potential mediatory role of alexithymia and depression in this relationship. METHODS: Visual-evoked potentials (VEPs) to emotional faces and classification performance were assessed in 12 anorexic females and matched healthy controls. RESULTS: Patients with anorexia nervosa showed no modulation of emotional face processing and displayed significantly increased N200 amplitudes in response to all emotional categories and decreased VEPs in response to unpleasant emotional faces in the P300 time range as compared with healthy controls. They also made more mistakes in emotional face recognition, in particular, for neutral, sad, and disgusted content. CONCLUSIONS: There are marked differences in evoked potentials and emotion recognition performances of patients with anorexia nervosa and controls in facial processing. Differences in brain dynamics might contribute to difficulties in the correct recognition of facially expressed emotions, deficits in social functioning, and in turn the maintenance of eating disorders. Y1 - 2008 SN - 0033-3174 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Pollatos, Olga A1 - Kurz, Anne-Lene A1 - Albrecht, Jessica A1 - Schreder, Tatjana A1 - Kleemann, Anna Maria A1 - Schöpf, Veronika A1 - Kopietz, Rainer A1 - Wiesmann, Martin A1 - Schandry, Rainer T1 - Reduced perception of bodily signals in anorexia nervosa N2 - OBJECTIVE: Interoceptive awareness is known to be impaired in eating disorders. To date, it has remained unclear whether this variable is related to the construct of interoceptive sensitivity. Interoceptive sensitivity is considered to be an essential variable in emotional processes. The objective of the study was to elucidate this potential relationship and to clarify whether general interoceptive sensitivity is reduced in anorexia nervosa. METHODS: Using a heartbeat perception task, interoceptive sensitivity was assessed in 28 female patients with anorexia nervosa and 28 matched healthy controls. Questionnaires assessing interoceptive awareness (EDI) and several other variables were also administered. RESULTS: Patients with anorexia nervosa displayed significantly decreased interoceptive sensitivity. They also had more difficulties in interoceptive awareness. CONCLUSIONS: In addition to a decreased ability to recognize certain visceral sensations related to hunger, there is a generally reduced capacity to accurately perceive bodily signals in anorexia nervosa. This highlights the potential importance of interoceptive sensitivity in the pathogenesis of eating disorders. Y1 - 2008 SN - 1471-0153 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Pollatos, Olga A1 - Schandry, Rainer T1 - Emotional processing and emotional memory are modulated by interoceptive awareness N2 - The ability to perceive interoceptive signals plays a central role in many theories of emotions. The present study was designed to investigate the relationship between interoceptive awareness and the conscious processing and memory of emotional information. Heart-rate changes were recorded during baseline and affective picture presentation in two groups of participants, differing in cardiac awareness. After a 60-minute break, a recognition task was conducted. Statistical analyses revealed significantly stronger heart-rate deceleration to pleasant and unpleasant stimuli in participants with high interoceptive awareness. In the subsequent picture recognition task, participants with high interoceptive awareness demonstrated a superior recall of pleasant and unpleasant pictures, while no differences were found between interoceptive awareness groups for pictures of neutral content. Our results demonstrate a strong relationship between the perception of cardiac signals and both the processing as well as the recognition of emotional stimuli. High interoceptive awareness was related to increased physiological responses to emotional stimuli and is therefore an important mediating variable when investigating cardiovascular reactivity both in healthy subjects as well as in clinical populations. Y1 - 2008 UR - http://www.informaworld.com/openurl?genre=journal&issn=0269-9931 SN - 0269-9931 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Pollatos, Olga A1 - Schubö, Anna A1 - Herbert, Beate M. A1 - Matthias, Ellen A1 - Schandry, Rainer T1 - Deficits in early emotional reactivity in alexithymia N2 - Abstract Alexithymia is characterized by a difficulty in identifying and describing one"s emotions. This study addressed the question of whether alexithymic tendencies are related to limited affective reactivity to briefly presented emotional stimuli. Skin conductance responses were assessed and backward masking was used to minimize elaborated processing of emotional pictures. Results indicated that alexithymic tendencies are associated with smaller electrodermal responses to briefly presented negative pictures. These effects were driven by difficulties in identifying and communicating emotions whereas externally orientated thinking was unrelated to affective reactivity. We conclude that there is an early processing deficit in response to negative stimuli in participants with high scores in alexithymia. Differences in the early emotional reactivity to arousing material could contribute to difficulties in emotional processes related to alexithymia. Y1 - 2008 UR - http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/cgi-bin/issn?DESCRIPTOR=PRINTISSN&VALUE=0048-5772 SN - 0048-5772 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Schreder, Tatjana A1 - Albrecht, Jessica A1 - Kleemann, Anna Maria A1 - Kopietz, Rainer A1 - Anzinger, Andrea A1 - Demmel, Maria A1 - Linn, Jennifer A1 - Pollatos, Olga A1 - Wiesmann, Martin A1 - Schoepf, Veronika T1 - Olfactory performance of patients with anorexia nervosa and healthy subjects in hunger and satiety N2 - The aim of this study was to compare the olfactory performance of anorectic patients and healthy controls with regard to the state of satiety. Using the Sniffin" Sticks, sensitivity to a nonfood odor (n-butanol) and to a food- related odor (isoamyl acetate) was assessed in 12 anorectic females and compared with 24 healthy controls. Threshold tests were performed in a hungry as well as in a satiated state, odor discrimination and odor identification only when satiated. Pleasantness of the odors was recorded. In terms of the non-food odor n-butanol, the olfactory sensitivity of anorectic patients and controls did not differ. Patients with anorexia nervosa had a significantly lower detection threshold for the food-related odor, but only in the hungry condition. Anorectic patients showed significant deficits in odor discrimination and identification, and under-evaluated the pleasantness of isoamyl acetate. Our results suggest an impaired projection from secondary to tertiary olfactory structures in anorexia nervosa, based upon the dichotomy of performance between detection threshold and odor discrimination/dentification. The reduced pleasantness of isoamyl acetate indicates a decreased olfactory responsiveness to food stimuli in anorexia nervosa. Y1 - 2008 ER -