A study from Dalhousie University reveals that dogs can be trained to identify stress in human breath, potentially offering new support for individuals with PTSD.
A recent pilot study carried out by scientists at Dalhousie University has unveiled that dogs can potentially be trained to identify stress in human breath, a discovery that could assist individuals with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The research, published in Frontiers in Allergy, demonstrates that dogs might be capable of offering support to PTSD sufferers by recognizing the scent of stress, enhancing the current use of PTSD assistance dogs which primarily respond to behavioral and physical signs.
Throughout the study, 25 dogs underwent training to detect various scents, among which two dogs, Ivy and Callie, excelled in identifying stressed versus non-stressed human breath samples. These dogs showed up to 90% accuracy in their scent detection abilities, with each dog showing sensitivity to different stress markers— anxiety for Ivy and shame for Callie. This distinction suggests that dogs could be attuned to specific stress markers in human breath.
The investigation engaged 26 participants, with a majority meeting the criteria for PTSD diagnosis, who were asked to breath into facemasks while reliving traumatic events. The remarkable performance of Ivy and Callie highlights the nuanced understanding dogs may have of human emotional states, through the detection of stress-related odors in breath.
Senior researcher Laura Kiiroja mentioned that this initial study serves as proof-of-concept, with further research required to substantiate and expand upon these findings. The study opens up new avenues for improving the efficiency of PTSD assistance dogs through training in scent detection, suggesting potential for broader applications of dogs in healthcare settings.
