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Updated: Aug 17, 2025
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Symptom Assessment of Patients with Allergic Rhinitis Using an Allergen Exposure Chamber
Published on: March 3, 2023
2.5K
Trigeminal Sensitivity in Patients With Allergic Rhinitis and Chronic Rhinosinusitis
Georg Karl Ludwig Burghardt1, Mandy Cuevas1, Rumi Sekine1,2
1Smell and Taste Clinic, Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden, Germany.
The Laryngoscope
|December 12, 2022
Summary
Allergic rhinitis patients show heightened nasal trigeminal sensitivity compared to those with chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps. These differences in trigeminal nerve function were observed at both psychophysical and electrophysiological levels.
Area of Science:
- Otorhinolaryngology
- Neuroscience
- Immunology
Background:
- Allergic rhinitis (AR) and chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) significantly impact otorhinolaryngology.
- Symptoms in AR and CRSwNP are often linked to alterations in nasal trigeminal nerve sensitivity.
- Understanding trigeminal sensitivity differences is crucial for diagnosing and managing these conditions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare trigeminal nerve sensitivity in patients with AR, CRSwNP, and healthy controls (HC).
- To investigate psychophysical and electrophysiological correlates of trigeminal sensitivity in these groups.
Main Methods:
- Seventy-five participants (34 AR, 10 CRSwNP, 31 HC) underwent olfactory testing (Sniffin' Sticks) and trigeminal sensitivity assessment (CO2 detection thresholds).
- Trigeminal negative mucosal potentials (NMP) and EEG-derived event-related potentials (ERP) were recorded in response to olfactory and trigeminal stimuli.
Main Results:
- AR patients exhibited lower CO2 thresholds and shorter NMP/trigeminal ERP latencies compared to HC, indicating heightened trigeminal sensitivity.
- CRSwNP patients demonstrated decreased trigeminal sensitivity (prolonged ERP latencies) and reduced olfactory function versus HC.
Conclusions:
- AR patients appear more sensitive to trigeminal stimuli than CRSwNP patients, with differences evident on psychophysical and electrophysiological levels.
- Trigeminal sensitivity changes may originate at the respiratory epithelium level, potentially influenced by specific inflammatory profiles.
- Further research with larger cohorts is needed to confirm these findings and explore underlying mechanisms.
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