Health
COVID-related smell loss linked to brain changes
new study A study of 73 adults who had recovered from COVID-19 found behavioral, functional and structural brain changes in those who lost their sense of smell.
Chilean researchers conducted cognitive screening, decision-making task performance, functional tests, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) results in 73 patients with mild to moderate COVID-19 infection and 27 patients with infections caused by other pathogens but without COVID-19. They followed up twice, 15 days apart.
Patients were recruited from public and private hospitals in Santiago, on average 9 months after diagnosis, between February 2020 and May 2023. The mean age was 40.1 years. The research team used loss of smell and need for hospitalization as proxies for potential indicators of neurological involvement and disease severity, respectively.
The results were announced last weekend. Scientific Reports.
“Given the high global incidence of COVID-19, identifying factors that can distinguish individuals at risk of developing brain alterations is crucial for prioritizing follow-up care,” the study authors wrote.
Role as a marker for smell loss
twenty two Of the 73 COVID-19 patients, 30.1% reported having varying degrees of problems with attention and memory. Seven patients reported headaches, six reported fatigue, and four had anosmia that lasted an average of 1.3 months. Of these patients, 68% lost their sense of smell completely, and the remaining patients had an altered sense of smell.
Given the high global incidence of COVID-19, identifying factors that can distinguish individuals at risk of developing brain changes is essential for prioritizing follow-up care.
Of the 43 patients who lost their sense of smell during acute infection, six had changes in their self-reported sense of smell and were able to identify a maximum of four out of six odors on olfactory testing, suggesting persistent impairment.
Although the COVID and non-COVID groups were similar in age and cognitive ability, patients who lost their sense of smell were more impulsive and more likely to make different choices when faced with negative outcomes when performing a behavioral task (a game), whereas hospitalized patients were less able to think strategically and repeatedly made the same incorrect choices.
In MRIs taken during the game, loss of smell was associated with reduced functional activity during decision-making, loss of white matter integrity, and thinning of the outer layers of the cerebrum in the parietal regions (responsible for processing sensory input, understanding spatial relationships, and how to navigate).
“Only six patients showed signs of persistent anosmia, and therefore our results are not due to a true disorder,” the study authors wrote. “Osmia may therefore serve as a potential marker of viral damage to neural tissue and as a marker for individuals susceptible to brain injury.”
Further research is needed to determine to what extent smell loss reflects COVID-related brain damage, whether it is an indicator of patient susceptibility to various neuropathological mechanisms, the mechanisms of association between smell loss and brain changes, and treatment targets, the researchers concluded.
|
Sources 2/ https://www.cidrap.umn.edu/covid-19/covid-related-loss-smell-tied-changes-brain The mention sources can contact us to remove/changing this article |
What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online
LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2020, / Compare-autoinsurance.Org has launched a new blog post that presents the main benefits of comparing multiple car insurance quotes. For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/the-advantages-of-comparing-prices-with-car-insurance-quotes-online/ The modern society has numerous technological advantages. One important advantage is the speed at which information is sent and received. With the help of the internet, the shopping habits of many persons have drastically changed. The car insurance industry hasn't remained untouched by these changes. On the internet, drivers can compare insurance prices and find out which sellers have the best offers. View photos The advantages of comparing online car insurance quotes are the following: Online quotes can be obtained from anywhere and at any time. Unlike physical insurance agencies, websites don't have a specific schedule and they are available at any time. Drivers that have busy working schedules, can compare quotes from anywhere and at any time, even at midnight. Multiple choices. Almost all insurance providers, no matter if they are well-known brands or just local insurers, have an online presence. Online quotes will allow policyholders the chance to discover multiple insurance companies and check their prices. Drivers are no longer required to get quotes from just a few known insurance companies. Also, local and regional insurers can provide lower insurance rates for the same services. Accurate insurance estimates. Online quotes can only be accurate if the customers provide accurate and real info about their car models and driving history. Lying about past driving incidents can make the price estimates to be lower, but when dealing with an insurance company lying to them is useless. Usually, insurance companies will do research about a potential customer before granting him coverage. Online quotes can be sorted easily. Although drivers are recommended to not choose a policy just based on its price, drivers can easily sort quotes by insurance price. Using brokerage websites will allow drivers to get quotes from multiple insurers, thus making the comparison faster and easier. For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ Compare-autoinsurance.Org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "Online quotes can easily help drivers obtain better car insurance deals. All they have to do is to complete an online form with accurate and real info, then compare prices", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing CompanyPerson for contact Name: Gurgu CPhone Number: (818) 359-3898Email: [email protected]: https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ SOURCE: Compare-autoinsurance.Org View source version on accesswire.Com:https://www.Accesswire.Com/595055/What-Are-The-Main-Benefits-Of-Comparing-Car-Insurance-Quotes-Online View photos
to request, modification Contact us at Here or [email protected]
 |
 |
 |
