Universität zu Köln

Rebholz, Heike, Braun, Ralf J., Ladage, Dennis, Knoll, Wolfgang, Kleber, Christoph and Hassel, Achim W. (2020). Loss of Olfactory Function-Early Indicator for Covid-19, Other Viral Infections and Neurodegenerative Disorders. Front. Neurol., 11. LAUSANNE: FRONTIERS MEDIA SA. ISSN 1664-2295

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Abstract

The loss of the senses of smell (anosmia) and taste (ageusia) are rather common disorders, affecting up to 20% of the adult population. Yet, this condition has not received the attention it deserves, most probably because per se such a disorder is not life threatening. However, loss of olfactory function significantly reduces the quality of life of the affected patients, leading to dislike in food and insufficient, exaggerated or unbalanced food intake, unintentional exposure to toxins such as household gas, social isolation, depression, and an overall insecurity. Not only is olfactory dysfunction rather prevalent in the healthy population, it is, in many instances, also a correlate or an early indicator of a panoply of diseases. Importantly, olfactory dysfunction is linked to the two most prominent neurodegenerative disorders, Parkinson's disease and Alzheimer's disease. Anosmia and hyposmia (reduced sense of smell) affect a majority of patients years before the onset of cognitive or motor symptoms, establishing olfactory dysfunction as early biomarker that can enable earlier diagnosis and preventative treatments. In the current health crisis caused by SARS-CoV2, anosmia and dysgeusia as early-onset symptoms in virus-positive patients may prove to be highly relevant and crucial for pre-symptomatic Covid-19 detection from a public health perspective, preceding by days the more classical respiratory tract symptoms such as cough, tightness of the chest or fever. Thus, the olfactory system seems to be at the frontline of pathologic assault, be it through pathogens or insults that can lead to or at least associate with neurodegeneration. The aim of this review is to assemble current knowledge from different medical fields that all share a common denominator, olfactory/gustatory dysfunction, and to distill overarching etiologies and disease progression mechanisms.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Creators:	Creators Email ORCID ORCID Put Code Rebholz, Heike UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Braun, Ralf J. UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Ladage, Dennis UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Knoll, Wolfgang UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Kleber, Christoph UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED Hassel, Achim W. UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED UNSPECIFIED
URN:	urn:nbn:de:hbz:38-314307
DOI:	10.3389/fneur.2020.569333
Journal or Publication Title:	Front. Neurol.
Volume:	11
Date:	2020
Publisher:	FRONTIERS MEDIA SA
Place of Publication:	LAUSANNE
ISSN:	1664-2295
Language:	English
Faculty:	Unspecified
Divisions:	Unspecified
Subjects:	no entry
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Keywords Language AMYLOID-BETA BURDEN; PARKINSONS-DISEASE; ALZHEIMERS-DISEASE; ALLERGIC RHINITIS; COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT; TDP-43 PATHOLOGY; TASTE DISORDERS; DYSFUNCTION; SMELL; BULB Multiple languages Clinical Neurology; Neurosciences Multiple languages
URI:	http://kups.ub.uni-koeln.de/id/eprint/31430