17:00 - 19:00
Fri-S9
Goethe Hall
Chair/s:
Thomas Hummel
The sense of smell is plastic. This plasticity is based on the regenerative capacity of the olfactory mucosa. The regeneration is the basis for recovery after olfactory loss which is especially significant since the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. In COVID19 the virus attacks the olfactory mucosa and olfactory receptor neurons are destroyed during the process of the disease. During recovery, ORNs are regrown from the globose basal cells. In addition to these changes at a peripheral level, the volume of the olfactory bulb also changes in relation to olfactory function. The same has been shown for the primary and secondary olfactory cortex where also changes in functional responsiveness have been observed. It appears that the effectiveness of “olfactory training” is based on these effects.
Aim of the symposium is to highlight these plastic changes at several levels. To this end a group of excellent researchers will present work that touches upon several aspects of plasticity in the chemical senses. In terms of career levels the group is mixed, with a PhD student, four relatively young colleagues in their early career, and one established senior colleagues.
Because of the high significance of this topic in terms of recovery from COVID-19 associated olfactory loss we believe that it is highly attractive to ECRO participants!
Back
Central-nervous changes during olfactory recovery in Covid-19?
Fri-S9-003
Presented by: Sanne Boesveldt
Sanne Boesveldt, Birgit van Dijk, Paul Smeets, Elbrich Postma
Sensory science and Eating behavior group, division of Human Nutrition and Health, Wageningen University, The Netherlands
Smell loss is one of the most frequent symptoms -and predictor- of Covid-19, can be long-lasting and have devastating impact on eating behavior and daily life. In particular, patients often report that after a period of smell loss (anosmia), they develop a distorted sense of smell (parosmia). Yet the course and frequency of this conversion is unknown, as is its pathophysiology. Neuroimaging, as (f)MRI, could help us understand the possible pathways of olfactory disorders in Covid-19 patients. E.g. it has been shown that the olfactory bulb is compromised in patients with persistent Covid-19 olfactory dysfunction. We here set out to investigate the (structural and functional) neurophysiological correlates of anosmia and parosmia in Covid-19, and assess potential recovery over a 6 month period. The study is ongoing and preliminary data will be presented at the meeting.
Back