Olfactory Training and Emotional State

NCT03605524 | Completed

• 3 other identifiers: PHAO17-WEH/ENOLFEA2018-A00653-522018.05.02
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 150
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 3

Brief Summary

During the past three decades, researchers have paid particular attention to the study of olfactory disorders in depression. Recent studies have shown that depression is characterized by a change in olfactory and emotional perception resulting in a decrease of the perception of positive stimuli (odors and facial expressions) and an increase in perception of negative stimuli (odors). Moreover, it has also been shown in healthy subjects that the presence of minor depressive symptoms leads to a decreasing of olfactory sensitivity. However, odor discrimination was not impaired in these subjects. This observation suggest the presence of a change in "targeted" olfactory perception in people with depressive symptoms without reporting major depression. In addition, studies in subjects with olfactory disorders (following respiratory tract infections or following Parkinson's disease) have shown an improvement in olfactory function after daily training with odors during 12 weeks. From all these observations, the hypothesis is that an olfactory training could improve the overall olfactory functioning and the emotional perception of the subjects presenting minor depressive symptoms and of the depressed patients.

Conditions

Depressive Symptoms; Depressive Disorder, Major

Keywords

Sensory training; Depression; Olfaction; Emotion; Perception

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Change from Baseline Olfactory Perception at 3 months

  Score obtained with the Sniffin 'Stick test

  Baseline (T0), a month and a half (T1.5), 3 months (T3)

Secondary Outcomes (7)

• Emotional perception measured Sense'n Feel Method

  Baseline (T0), a month and a half (T1.5), 3 months (T3)

• Emotional perception measured with SMI RED-m Scientific device

  Baseline (T0), a month and a half (T1.5), 3 months (T3)

• Psychometric scale MINI : Psychiatric disorders exploration

  Baseline (T0), a month and a half (T1.5), 3 months (T3)

• Psychometric scale TAS-20 : alexithymia assessment

  Baseline (T0), a month and a half (T1.5), 3 months (T3)

• Psychometric scale STAI-Y : anxiety assessment

  Baseline (T0), a month and a half (T1.5), 3 months (T3)

Study Arms (1)

Sensory training

OTHER

Sensory (Olfactory or visual) training will be done at home for 12 weeks. The effect of the training will be evaluated using an experimental protocol includes (i) clinical and psychometric evaluations, (ii) the study of olfactory perception using Sniffin' Sticks Test and (iii) the study of the emotional perception using the "subjective" Sense'n Feel method and the "objective" measurement of the spontaneous pupillary dilatation.

Other: Sensory training

Interventions

Sensory training OTHER

12 weeks sensory training

Also known as: Olfactory or visual training

Sensory training

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 18 Years - 65 Years
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Without psychiatric history
• QIDS scale score less than or equal to 15
• Affiliation to a social security system
• Able to give his written informed consent
• With a diagnosis of depressive episode characterized according to the DSM-5 criteria, confirmed by the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI)
• No argument for bipolar disorder or schizophrenia, confirmed by the MINI
• QIDS scale score greater than or equal to 16
• Follow-up in hospitalization and / or ambulatory consultation
• Without comorbidities (alcoholism, eating disorders ...)
• Affiliation to a social security system
• Able to give his written informed consent

You may not qualify if:

• Pathology or condition likely to modify their olfactory and / or taste perception
• Allergies with one or more odors, food allergies and / or known anosmias and ageusia
• Legal incapacity and / or circumstances rendering the person incapable of understanding the nature, objectives or consequences of the study

Sponsors & Collaborators

• University Hospital, Tours: lead

Study Sites (3)

University health service, University ,Tours

Tours, 37000, France

Location

UMR 1253 IBrain, University, Tours

Tours, 37032, France

Location

University Psychiatric Clinic, University hospital,Tours

Tours, 37044, France

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Depression; Depressive Disorder, Major; Anosmia

Interventions

Smell

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Behavioral Symptoms; Behavior; Depressive Disorder; Mood Disorders; Mental Disorders; Olfaction Disorders; Sensation Disorders; Neurologic Manifestations; Nervous System Diseases; Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Sensation; Nervous System Physiological Phenomena; Musculoskeletal and Neural Physiological Phenomena

Study Officials

• Wissam EL-HAGE, MD-PhD

  University Hospital, Tours

  STUDY DIRECTOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: NA
• Masking: NONE
• Purpose: OTHER
• Intervention Model: SINGLE GROUP
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: July 12, 2018
• First Posted: July 30, 2018
• Study Start: August 28, 2018
• Primary Completion: June 27, 2023
• Study Completion: June 27, 2023
• Last Updated: December 30, 2025

Record last verified: 2025-12

Locations

FR (3)