Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2022 May 31;12(6):714.
doi: 10.3390/brainsci12060714.

Correlations between Persistent Olfactory and Semantic Memory Disorders after SARS-CoV-2 Infection

Julie Fiorentino  1   2 , Magali Payne  1   2 , Elisa Cancian  3 , Alexandra Plonka  1   2   4 , Louise-Émilie Dumas  2   5 , David Chirio  6 , Élisa Demonchy  6 , Karine Risso  6 , Florence Askenazy-Gittard  2   5 , Nicolas Guevara  4 , Laurent Castillo  4 , Philippe Robert  1   2 , Valeria Manera  1   2 , Clair Vandersteen  2   3 , Auriane Gros  1   2
Affiliations

Correlations between Persistent Olfactory and Semantic Memory Disorders after SARS-CoV-2 Infection

Julie Fiorentino et al. Brain Sci. .

Abstract

Background: One of the main symptoms of COVID-19 is hyposmia or even anosmia. Olfactory identification is most often affected. In addition, some cognitive disorders tend to appear following the infection, particularly regarding executive functions, attention, and memory. Olfaction, and especially olfactory identification, is related to semantic memory which manages general knowledge about the world. The main objective of this study was to determine whether semantic memory is impaired in case of persistent post COVID-19 olfactory disorders. Methods: 84 patients (average age of 42.8 ± 13.6 years) with post COVID-19 olfactory loss were included after consulting to the ENT department. The clinical evaluation was carried out with the Pyramid and Palm Tree Test, the word-retrieval task from the Grémots, the Sniffin' Sticks Test and the Computerised Olfactory Test for the Diagnosis of Alzheimer's Disease. Results: Semantic memory was impaired in 20% (n = 17) of patients, especially in the 19-39 age-group. The olfactory threshold was only significantly correlated with the semantic memory scores. Conclusions: Similar to all cognitive disorders, semantic disorders can have a negative impact on quality of life if left untreated. It is essential to carry out specific assessments of post COVID-19 patients to accurately determine their disorders and to put in place the best possible rehabilitation, such as speech and language therapy, to avoid quality-of-life impairment.

Keywords: COVID-19; cognitive disorders; olfactory dysfunction; olfactory testing; semantic memory.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Correlations between PPTT scores and T-TODA scores. The dotted line represents the trend line.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Correlations between PPTT scores and I-TODA scores. The dotted line represents the trend line.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Correlations between PPTT scores and I-SST scores. The dotted line represents the trend line.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Meng X., Deng Y., Dai Z., Meng Z. COVID-19 and anosmia: A review based on up-to-date knowledge. Am. J. Otolaryngol. 2020;41:102581. doi: 10.1016/j.amjoto.2020.102581. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Gengler I., Wang J.C., Speth M.M., Sedaghat A.R. Sinonasal pathophysiology of SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19: A systematic review of the current evidence. Laryngoscope. 2020;5:354–359. doi: 10.1002/lio2.384. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Chen X., Laurent S., Onur O.A., Kleineberg N.N., Fink G.R., Schweitzer F., Warnke C. A systematic review of neurological symptoms and complications of COVID-19. J. Neurol. 2020;268:392–402. doi: 10.1007/s00415-020-10067-3. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Lechien J.R., Chiesa-Estomba C.M., De Siati D.R., Horoi M., Le Bon S.D., Rodriguez A., Dequanter D., Blecic S., El Afia F., Distinguin L., et al. Olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions as a clinical presentation of mild-to-moderate forms of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19): A multicenter European study. Eur. Arch. Oto-Rhino-Laryngol. 2020;277:2251–2261. doi: 10.1007/s00405-020-05965-1. - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Hopkins C., Surda P., Whitehead E., Kumar B.N. Early recovery following new onset anosmia during the COVID-19 pandemic—An observational cohort study. J. Otolaryngol.-Head Neck Surg. 2020;49:1–6. doi: 10.1186/s40463-020-00423-8. - DOI - PMC - PubMed