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. 2024 Jul 21;14(7):730.
doi: 10.3390/brainsci14070730.

Maximizing Participation in Olfactory Training in a Sample with Post-COVID-19 Olfactory Loss

Alice Helena Delgado-Lima  1 , Jaime Bouhaben  1 , María Luisa Delgado-Losada  1
Affiliations

Maximizing Participation in Olfactory Training in a Sample with Post-COVID-19 Olfactory Loss

Alice Helena Delgado-Lima et al. Brain Sci. .

Abstract

Purpose: This study aims to highlight the feasibility of an olfactory training program entirely monitored through online media in COVID-19 patients.

Methods: Classic olfactory training was performed with a sample with olfactory loss due COVID-19 (n = 11). Participants were engaged on a weekly video call in order to improve adherence and collect information regarding the number of correct answers and the individuals' perception of olfactory function. The olfactory status after training was compared to two groups, one composed of participants who contracted COVID-19 but did not report olfactory loss (n = 11) and a sample composed of healthy participants (n = 11).

Results: The experimental group showed improvements throughout the training period (TDI score on week 0 was 20.3 (5.6) and 24.6 (4.3) for week 12, and on week 24 was 25.4 (6.2) (F = 5.115, df = 2, 20, p = 0.016), and post hoc tests showed that participants significantly improved their TDI score in W12 compared to W0 (SMD = 0.869, p = 0.041) and in W24 compared to W0 (SMD = 0.859, p = 0.041). The experimental group showed lower scores when compared with both groups, and the no OT COVID-19 group showed lower scores than the healthy control group, even though they did not report olfactory alterations.

Conclusions: Findings suggest that the strategies applied to improve adherence were successful since 100% of the sample completed the training adherence, offering a valuable framework for future olfactory training studies.

Keywords: COVID-19; olfactory dysfunction; olfactory rehabilitation; olfactory training; therapeutic approach.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have no relevant financial or non-financial interests to disclose.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
(A). Boxplot of TDI comparison between evaluation periods of the EG. (B). Boxplot of olfactory subtests comparison between evaluation periods of the EG. (C). Line plot of participants’ evolution from the EG.
Figure 1
Figure 1
(A). Boxplot of TDI comparison between evaluation periods of the EG. (B). Boxplot of olfactory subtests comparison between evaluation periods of the EG. (C). Line plot of participants’ evolution from the EG.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Bar chart of the evolution of OD of the EG.
Figure 3
Figure 3
(A). Line chart showing the mean evolution of the number of correct answers through olfactory training. (B). Line chart of the evolution of the participants in the EG self-rate olfactory performance per week.
Figure 4
Figure 4
(A). Boxplot of comparison between olfactory subtests by sample. (B). Boxplot of comparison between TDI by sample.
Figure 4
Figure 4
(A). Boxplot of comparison between olfactory subtests by sample. (B). Boxplot of comparison between TDI by sample.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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