Pies: A dog's nose is so sensitive that they can detect changes in a person's emotional state

Evidence: 54 • authority: 92

Can scent-detection dogs detect the stress associated with trauma cue exposure in people with trauma histories? A proof-of-concept study.. Introduction Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is an impairing mental health condition with high prevalence among military and general populations alike. PTSD service dogs are a complementary and alternative intervention needing scientific validation. We investigated whether dogs can detect putative stress-related volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the breath of people with trauma histories (54% with PTSD) exposed to personalized trauma cues. Methods Breath samples were collected from 26 humans over 40 experimental sessions during a calm (control b…

Evidence: 54 • authority: 92

Predicting missed alerts in detection dogs.. Detection dogs are widely used in tasks ranging from explosives detection to medical diagnostics. Yet even well-trained dogs occasionally fail to indicate target odors. Such missed alerts can have severe operational consequences. Here we show that missed alerts are preceded by measurable changes in the dog's behavioral and physiological state. Using a controlled olfacto-treadmill system with precisely timed odor presentation, we analyzed movement dynamics and physiological signals during the seconds preceding each trial. A machine learning model trained on pre-odor movement patterns predicted subsequent missed indications with above-chance accura…

Evidence: 45 • authority: 80

The dog nose “KNOWS” fear: Asymmetric nostril use during sniffing at canine and human emotional stimuli

Evidence: 45 • authority: 88

Decision-making in Highly Sensitive Person: A Qualitative Research. This study potentially represents one of the first qualitative investigations exploring Sensory Processing Sensitivity (SPS), Decision-making and Self-regulation in Highly Sensitive Person (HSP) using the revised HSP Scale (Pluess et al., 2024) and semi-structured interviews. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and reflexive thematic analysis.30 valid HSP Scale responses were obtained. SPS scores were broadly continuous (M = 5.24, SD = 0.98), with no distinct boundary between groups. 20 participants were classified as HSP due to the recruitment strategy, alongside six medium-sensitive and four low-sensitive. Two…

Evidence: 45 • authority: 88

Decision-making in Highly Sensitive Person: A Qualitative Research. This study potentially represents one of the first qualitative investigations exploring Sensory Processing Sensitivity (SPS), Decision-making and Self-regulation in Highly Sensitive Person (HSP) using the revised HSP Scale (Pluess et al., 2024) and semi-structured interviews. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and reflexive thematic analysis.30 valid HSP Scale responses were obtained. SPS scores were broadly continuous (M = 5.24, SD = 0.98), with no distinct boundary between groups. 20 participants were classified as HSP due to the recruitment strategy, alongside six medium-sensitive and four low-sensitive. Two…

Evidence: — • authority: 38