Olfactory, cognitive and affective dysfunction assessed 24 hours and one year after a mild Traumatic Brain Injury (mTBI)

Abstract

Objective: This cross-sectional study aimed to evaluate olfaction 24 h (baseline) and 1 year (follow-up) after a mild traumatic brain injury (TBI). We further evaluated the influence of the cognition and affective state on olfactory function. Method: At baseline, olfactory function, neuropsychological, and affective states were assessed in 42 patients (20 mild TBI; 22 orthopedic injury). At follow-up, 12 patients with mild TBI and 7 controls could be included, and we assessed olfactory function, affective states, and post-concussion symptoms. Results: At baseline, patients with mild TBI demonstrated significantly reduced olfactory function, compared to controls, with more than 55% of the patients presenting signs of hyposmia. One year later, no significant differences in olfactory scores between cases and controls were observed. However, patients with mild TBI who had exhibited hyposmia at baseline exhibited significantly higher anxiety levels and more post-concussion symptoms than patients with mild TBI with normal olfactory function at baseline. Conclusions: In the acute phase of mild TBI a majority of patients has impaired olfactory function. Further patients with olfactory dysfunction are more likely to exhibit post-concussion and anxious symptoms at follow-up. Olfactory testing in the acute phase may therefore serve as a screening tool for long-term outcome.

Keywords: Mild traumatic brain injury; anxiety; cognition; cross-sectional; olfaction.