According to new research, dogs can be trained to detect upcoming flashbacks caused by post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Scientists have trained such canines to detect the aroma contained in people’s breath that reflects their past traumatic experiences, according to a study published in the journal Frontiers in Allergy.
The experts stated that their findings can be used to improve the effectiveness of PTSD assistance dogs.
Everyone has a “scent profile”
PTSD is a mental health condition that can be triggered by frightening, disturbing, or stressful experiences, and those who have experienced them are often haunted by flashbacks and nightmares.
Laura Kiiroja, a member of Dalhousie University in Canada’s Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, told The Independent that: “PTSD service dogs are already trained to assist people during episodes of distress. However, dogs are currently trained to respond to behavioural and physical cues. Our study showed that at least some dogs can also detect these episodes via breath.”
According to the experts, everyone has a “scent profile”. This profile is composed of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), which are excreted by the body in various secretions, such as perspiration.
They stated that there is some evidence that dogs can sense VOCs associated with human stress.
How was the experiment conducted?
To conduct the study, a team of 26 participants was assembled, and more than half of them met the diagnostic criteria for PTSD.
The participants were instructed to breathe into a facemask while recalling previous stressful occurrences. The team selected twenty-five dogs to train in smell detection, but just two (Ivy and Callie) appeared skilled and motivated throughout the studies, according to the researchers.
“Both Ivy and Callie found this work inherently motivating. Their limitless appetite for delicious treats was also an asset. In fact, it was much harder to convince them to take a break than to commence work. Callie in particular made sure there was no dilly-dallying,” Kiiroja said.
The researchers trained the two dogs to detect odors from facemasks. In the investigation, the canines were able to distinguish between stressed and unstressed facemask samples.
The two dogs were also tested to see how accurately they could detect VOCs related to stress. According to the team, Ivy performed 74% accurately in the experiment, while Callie performed 81% correctly. Ivy’s performance was associated with anxiety, while Callie’s was associated with humiliation.
“Although both dogs performed at very high accuracy, they seemed to have a slightly different idea of what they considered a ‘stressed’ breath sample,” Kiiroja said.