tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Dement Geriatr Cogn Disord
. 2021 Apr 14;1-6.
doi: 10.1159/000515575. Online ahead of print.
Hyposmia Is Associated with Reduced Cognitive Function in COVID-19: First Preliminary Results
Agnes Pirker-Kees[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Kirsten Platho-Elwischger[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Sebastian Hafner[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Kurt Redlich[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Christoph Baumgartner[SUP] 1 2 4 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Abstract
Background: Hyposmia is frequently reported as an initial symptom in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
Objective: As hyposmia accompanies cognitive impairment in several neurological disorders, we aimed to study whether hyposmia represents a clinical biomarker for both neurological involvement and cognitive impairment in mild CO-VID-19. We aimed to study whether olfactory dysfunction (OD) represents a clinical biomarker for both neurological involvement and cognitive impairment in mild COVID-19.
Methods: Formal olfactory testing using the Sniffin'Sticks? Screening test, neuropsychological assessment using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), and detailed neurological examination were performed in 7 COVID-19 patients with mild disease course and no history of olfactory or cognitive impairment, and 7 controls matched for age, sex, and education. Controls were initially admitted to a dedicated COVID-19 screening ward but tested negative by real-time PCR.
Results: The number of correctly identified odors was significantly lower in COVID-19 than in controls (6 ? 3, vs. 10 ? 1 p = 0.028, r = 0.58). Total MoCA score was significantly lower in COVID-19 patients than in controls (20 ? 5 vs. 26 ? 3, p = 0.042, r = 0.54). Cognitive performance indicated by MoCA was associated with number of correctly identified odors in COVID-19 patients and controls (COVID-19: p = 0.018, 95% CI = 9-19; controls: p = 0.18, r = 0.63, 95% CI = 13-18.5 r = 0.64).
Discussion/conclusion: OD is associated with cognitive impairment in controls and mild COVID-19. OD may represent a potentially useful clinical biomarker for subtle and even subclinical neurological involvement in severe acute respiratory distress syndrome coronavirus-2 infection.
Keywords: Cognition; Coronavirus disease 2019; Hyposmia; Severe acute respiratory distress syndrome coronavirus-2.
. 2021 Apr 14;1-6.
doi: 10.1159/000515575. Online ahead of print.
Hyposmia Is Associated with Reduced Cognitive Function in COVID-19: First Preliminary Results
Agnes Pirker-Kees[SUP] 1 2 [/SUP], Kirsten Platho-Elwischger[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Sebastian Hafner[SUP] 1 [/SUP], Kurt Redlich[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Christoph Baumgartner[SUP] 1 2 4 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 33853062
- DOI: 10.1159/000515575
Abstract
Background: Hyposmia is frequently reported as an initial symptom in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
Objective: As hyposmia accompanies cognitive impairment in several neurological disorders, we aimed to study whether hyposmia represents a clinical biomarker for both neurological involvement and cognitive impairment in mild CO-VID-19. We aimed to study whether olfactory dysfunction (OD) represents a clinical biomarker for both neurological involvement and cognitive impairment in mild COVID-19.
Methods: Formal olfactory testing using the Sniffin'Sticks? Screening test, neuropsychological assessment using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), and detailed neurological examination were performed in 7 COVID-19 patients with mild disease course and no history of olfactory or cognitive impairment, and 7 controls matched for age, sex, and education. Controls were initially admitted to a dedicated COVID-19 screening ward but tested negative by real-time PCR.
Results: The number of correctly identified odors was significantly lower in COVID-19 than in controls (6 ? 3, vs. 10 ? 1 p = 0.028, r = 0.58). Total MoCA score was significantly lower in COVID-19 patients than in controls (20 ? 5 vs. 26 ? 3, p = 0.042, r = 0.54). Cognitive performance indicated by MoCA was associated with number of correctly identified odors in COVID-19 patients and controls (COVID-19: p = 0.018, 95% CI = 9-19; controls: p = 0.18, r = 0.63, 95% CI = 13-18.5 r = 0.64).
Discussion/conclusion: OD is associated with cognitive impairment in controls and mild COVID-19. OD may represent a potentially useful clinical biomarker for subtle and even subclinical neurological involvement in severe acute respiratory distress syndrome coronavirus-2 infection.
Keywords: Cognition; Coronavirus disease 2019; Hyposmia; Severe acute respiratory distress syndrome coronavirus-2.