Odors, Deployment Stress, and Health: A Conditioning Analysis of Gulf War Syndrome
Abstract
Troops deployed in the Persian Gulf War were exposed to an unusually diverse mix of odorous chemicals at the same time as they were exposed to physiological and psychological stressors B a scenario that research in animal models suggests will lead to the development of specific conditioned% responses. The goal of this research is to investigate the extent to which people can acquire stress reactions as conditioned responses to odors and exhibit health symptoms as a result of such conditioning episodes. Thus, the paradigm investigated in this project can serve as a model system for examining and understanding the persistent symptom constellations found in GWS and other stress-mediated syndromes. Due to delays in the approval of the protocol for human research participation, the brief period of time during which we have been able to test human research participants has limited the conclusions that can be drawn at this juncture. However, preliminary results suggest that odors paired with a stressful situation subsequently elicit negative responses when experienced alone This finding, if supported, has considerable relevance to understanding symptoms that occur in deployment situations, typified by exposure to stressors experienced in the presence of novel odors.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 01, 2002
- Accession Number
- ADA416213
Entities
People
- Pamela H. Dalton
Organizations
- Monell Chemical Senses Center