Researchers at Dalhousie University have discovered that assistance dogs may have the potential to detect oncoming PTSD flashbacks by sensing changes in the breath of individuals who have experienced trauma.
This innovative study, published in Frontiers in Allergy, demonstrates that dogs can go beyond reacting to visible signs of distress and actually respond to biochemical markers of stress.
PTSD, or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, is triggered by catastrophic life events and manifests through symptoms like flashbacks, hyperarousal, and mood swings. Service dogs trained for PTSD support typically react to physical or behavioral cues from their handlers.
However, the ability to detect stress through breath would enable these dogs to intervene more proactively, possibly before their handlers are even aware of an escalating episode.
The human body emits volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in secretions such as sweat, which can change under stress. The study led by Laura Kiiroja and her colleagues set out to explore if dogs could identify these stress-related VOCs.
They collaborated with Dr. Sherry Stewart’s clinical psychology lab and Dr. Simon Gadbois’s canine olfaction lab, bringing together expertise from both human psychology and canine scent detection.
The research involved 26 individuals who had experienced trauma, over half of whom were diagnosed with PTSD. These participants were asked to wear facemasks during sessions that involved recalling traumatic events to capture their breath under stress.
Another set of calm breath samples served as controls. These participants also completed questionnaires to report their stress and emotional states during the sessions.
Out of 25 dogs initially recruited for training in scent detection, only two, Ivy and Callie, successfully completed the rigorous training. These dogs were trained to distinguish between stressed and non-stressed breath samples from the facemasks used in the study.
Their accuracy was impressive, with initial results showing about 90% accuracy in recognizing stressed samples in a controlled setting. In a subsequent experiment to validate these findings, Ivy and Callie achieved 74% and 81% accuracy, respectively.
The dogs’ detection abilities were not only effective but also appeared to correlate with specific emotional states reported by the participants.
For example, Ivy’s detection correlated with anxiety levels, while Callie’s results were more aligned with feelings of shame. This suggests that each dog may be sensitive to different hormonal cues associated with stress, such as adrenaline and cortisol.
Despite the promising results, Kiiroja notes that this is a preliminary study and the findings need to be validated with larger sample sizes and varied stress conditions.
The next steps for the research team include more extensive trials to confirm whether dogs can consistently detect stress-related VOCs across different scenarios and individuals.
This study opens up new avenues for enhancing the effectiveness of PTSD service dogs, offering a deeper understanding of how dogs can support their human companions by detecting invisible signs of distress, potentially improving the lives of those living with PTSD.
If you care about mental health, please read studies about 6 foods you can eat to improve mental health, and B vitamins could help prevent depression and anxiety.
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The research findings can be found in Frontiers in Allergy.
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