Gustatory Function in Acute COVID‐19 ‐ Results From Home‐Based Psychophysical Testing

Hintschich, Constantin; Brosig, Anja Maria; Hummel, Thomas; Andorfer, Kornelia; Wenzel, Jürgen J.; Bohr, Christopher; Vielsmeier, Veronika

doi:10.1002/lary.30080

Cited by 10 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 22 publications

(62 reference statements)

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“…To avoid the risk of viral contamination, taste disorders were recorded in most cases by using subjective methods, such as surveys or self-reports. However, a few studies [ 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 ] have focused on objective assessments, and not much is known about the characteristics of taste loss.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Loss of Sour Taste Is the Striking Feature among Four Basic Taste Qualities in Tunisian COVID-19 Patients

Karmous

Sahnoun

Othman

et al. 2023

JCM

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Background: Taste disorders (TDs) have been reported to be very common in patients suffering from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which is caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. In most of the hitherto conducted studies, a gustatory assessment was performed on the basis of surveys or self-reports by patients. The aim of our study was to undertake an objective assessment of four basic taste qualities by conducting tasting sessions that allowed detection thresholds in COVID-19 Tunisian patients and to study their associations with inflammation. Methods: This analytical cross-sectional study was conducted on 89 patients aged between 21 to 70 years who had been diagnosed with COVID-19. We used Burghart taste strips to assess taste perception of the four taste qualities, i.e., sour, bitter, sweet, and salty. Serum levels of interleukin-1β (IL-1β), interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), and C-reactive protein (CRP) were measured. Results: Taste disorders were reported by 40.4% of the patients, while objective assessments revealed that 63.8% of participants were suffering from hypogeusia and/or ageusia. Sour taste was the most altered (70.8%) gustatory quality. Patients with severe COVID-19 had significantly lower sour and bitter taste scores when compared to patients with minor/moderate forms. There was no significant association between serum inflammatory markers and taste disorders. However, the relationship between bitter and sweet taste qualities and IL-1β levels was significant (p = 0.018 and p = 0.041). Conclusions: Our results demonstrate the interest in the objective assessment of taste dysfunctions in COVID-19 patients.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Loss of Sour Taste Is the Striking Feature among Four Basic Taste Qualities in Tunisian COVID-19 Patients

Karmous

Sahnoun

Othman

et al. 2023

JCM

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“…The mean intensity attributed by participants in the COVID group was considerably lower than that in the Control group at the higher concentration. In the psychophysical gustatory tests (Taste Strips Test) performed by Hintschich (2022), there was a difference between the four basic tastes evaluated, with the average score for the sour taste being significantly lower compared to the other three ( p ≤ .05). The authors suggest that the results demonstrate a diminished perception capacity concerning this taste.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Individuals who have been infected with SARS‐CoV‐2 remain with lowered taste and smell sensory‐processing sensitivity: A case study

Santos,

Minim,

Lima Filho

et al. 2024

Journal of Sensory Studies

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This research aimed to investigate the occurrence and prevalence of possible changes in the sensory perception of individuals who presented total or partial loss of smell or taste when infected by SARS‐CoV‐2, comparing the results with those of individuals who were not diagnosed with the disease and did not show typical symptoms of the infection. One hundred volunteers were recruited, of whom 50 were from the group of people who had COVID‐19 and had signs of smell or taste dysfunction (COVID group), and 50 were from the group of people who did not have the disease and did not show symptoms of the disease (Control group). Gustatory tests were performed to evaluate four primary tastes: sweet, salty, sour, and bitter, and olfactory tests were performed to assess odors: coffee, pineapple, lime, and cinnamon. To determine the detection and recognition thresholds, three‐alternative forced‐choice sessions of tastes and odors were carried out, and intensity scales were used to verify the sensory perception of the participants. Significant differences were confirmed between the groups (Control and COVID) for the detection and recognition thresholds for all tastes and odors. Sour taste was significantly affected in terms of detection and recognition, suggesting that COVID group shows lower sensitivity concerning this taste. Pineapple odor was the most difficult of being recognized by COVID group. The intensity attributed to the stimuli by the COVID group were lower than those of the Control group and differed statistically at the highest concentrations. Data show that individuals in COVID group remained with gustatory and olfactory alterations in sensitivity, detection, and recognition capacity.Practical ApplicationsThis research demonstrated the prevalence of symptoms of sensory‐processing disorders related to gustatory and/or olfactory functions in individuals who tested positive for COVID‐19, even after been cured of the infection. They had sensory alterations in terms of detection and recognition capacity, as well as sensitivity. In practice, several factors associated with quality of life are impaired due to sensory‐processing disorders, such as food, personal hygiene, safety, and physical or mental illnesses, which lead to a necessity of monitor these individuals as these factors are related to public health.

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“…It is thought that the cause of taste disorders in COVID-19 patients is the dysfunction of taste receptors or the spread of infection to the cranial nerves responsible for transmitting the sense of taste ( 14 ). In a study by Hintschich et al ( 15 ) they investigated taste disorders in COVID-19 patients using the Taste Strip test and found the rate as 28%. In another study which used Burghart taste strips to evaluate the sense of taste, the authors found the rate of taste impairment as 25% and reported that this loss was mostly in sour and salty tastes ( 16 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Objective Evaluation of Smell and Taste Senses in COVID-19 Patients

KAYA¹,

Altıparmak²,

Yaşar³

et al. 2022

TAO

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Objective: The severe acute respiratory syndrome‐coronavirus‐2 pandemic is one of the largest of the recent times and can cause many symptoms including smell and taste disorders. In the literature, smell disorders caused by coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) have been reported within a wide range from 3.2% to 98.3%. A small number of these studies demonstrated smell and taste disorders through objective tests. Our aim in this study was to determine the prevalence of smell and taste disorders in hospitalized patients due to COVID-19 infection. Methods: The study was carried out with 100 patients who were positive for real-time polymerase chain reaction and treated at the Kayseri City Hospital, and 100 healthcare worker relatives. We used the Connecticut Chemosensory Clinical Research Center test to evaluate the sense of smell. Sense of taste was evaluated using four different standardized bottles of preparations, and the results were scored according to the patients’ statements. Results: Patient (Group 1) and control (Group 2) groups were compared for age, gender, smell and taste disorders. There were 39 women and 61 men in the patient group, and 40 women and 60 men in the control group. Mean age was 50.2±1.37 (range 21–70) years in Group 1 and 47.6±1.25 (range 18–70) years in Group 2, and there was no significant difference between the two groups. While the rate of smell disorder was 80% in Group 1, we found this rate as 35% in Group 2. Taste disturbance was identified in 38 patients, of whom 16 had mild hypogeusia, 17 had moderate hypogeusia, four had severe hypogeusia, and one patient had ageusia. We found that taste disorder was 38% in Group 1 and 3% in Group 2. Conclusion: Smell and taste dysfunctions are very common symptoms in COVID-19 patients. The results obtained using objective test methods are higher than the rates obtained from patient statements.

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Gustatory Function in Acute COVID‐19 ‐ Results From Home‐Based Psychophysical Testing

Cited by 10 publications

References 22 publications

Loss of Sour Taste Is the Striking Feature among Four Basic Taste Qualities in Tunisian COVID-19 Patients

Loss of Sour Taste Is the Striking Feature among Four Basic Taste Qualities in Tunisian COVID-19 Patients

Individuals who have been infected with SARS‐CoV‐2 remain with lowered taste and smell sensory‐processing sensitivity: A case study

Objective Evaluation of Smell and Taste Senses in COVID-19 Patients

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