Comment: Studies like this are unfortunate as they don't even address the biological variations seen in people with MCS. They didn't even test subject diagnosed with MCS, so they were not studying MCS. They were studying healthy people. They make so many gross assumptions it shocking how a study like this could be published in a journal.
Resistance to extinction in an odor-20% CO(2) inhalation paradigm: Further evidence for a symptom learning account of multiple chemical sensitivity.
Meulders A , Fannes S, Van Diest I, De Peuter S, Vansteenwegen D, Van den Bergh O.
Department of Psychology, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
Department of Psychology, University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium.
J Psychosom Res. 2010 Jan;68(1):47-56.
OBJECTIVE: Multiple chemical sensitivity (MCS) is characterized by a variety of symptoms in response to nontoxic concentrations of chemicals. To further test a laboratory model of MCS based on symptom learning, we used a stronger respiratory challenge in this study than in previous studies to induce symptoms (20% CO(2)-enriched air, unconditioned stimulus). Additionally, extinction of learned symptoms was investigated.
METHODS: Diluted ammonia (AM) and butyric acid (BA) served as conditioned (odor) stimuli (CSs). In a learning phase, healthy participants received three breathing trials of BA mixed with CO(2) and three trials of AM mixed with regular air, or the reversed combination. In a test phase, the same trials were administered without CO(2). Immediately after odor onset, participants rated their anxiety and expectancy to experience symptoms during that trial. Self-reported symptoms were assessed after each trial; respiratory behavior was measured throughout the experiment.
RESULTS: Only participants who learned to correctly anticipate symptoms (learning phase) reported elevated symptoms in response to the CS+ odor (test phase). Anticipation was more likely correct and learned symptoms were more elevated when BA had been previously associated with CO(2). Across test trials, anticipatory anxiety diminished, but learned symptoms did not. Participants failing to learn the prearranged contingencies reported overall more symptoms and anxiety.
CONCLUSIONS: Strong respiratory challenges impede extinction of learned symptoms. Conscious expectancy, which may be modulated by odor quality, determines whether learned symptoms develop in response to a specific odor or to the general context. The results further support a symptom learning account of MCS.
PMID: 20004300 [PubMed - in process]
