Neurosensory Rehabilitation and Olfactory Network Recovery in Covid-19-related Olfactory Dysfunction
Tom Wai-Hin Chung1, Hui Zhang2, Fergus Kai-Chuen Wong3
1Department of Microbiology, Li Ka Shing Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China.
Brain Sciences
|June 2, 2021
Summary
Olfactory dysfunction following COVID-19 can be treated. Olfactory treatment, including vitamin A and smell training, improved olfactory bulb volume and network connectivity in patients.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Ophthalmology
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- Non-conductive olfactory dysfunction (OD) is a significant extra-pulmonary manifestation of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
- Prolonged COVID-19-related OD can be associated with olfactory bulb (OB) volume loss and olfactory network functional connectivity (FC) defects.
Observation:
- Two patients with persistent COVID-19-related OD exhibited reduced OB volume and impaired olfactory network FC.
- One patient underwent olfactory treatment (OT) combining oral vitamin A and smell training using electronic portable aromatic rehabilitation (EPAR) diffusers.
Findings:
- After four weeks of OT, the patient experienced clinical smell recovery.
- This recovery correlated with a significant increase in bilateral OB volumes (right: 120%, left: 12%).
- Improvements were also observed in mean olfactory FC, increasing by 66.6% (from 0.09 to 0.15).
Implications:
- Olfactory treatment may be effective in restoring olfactory function after COVID-19.
- OB volume and network FC can serve as objective measures for treatment efficacy.
- This study highlights potential therapeutic strategies for post-COVID-19 olfactory dysfunction.
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