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Anosmia and ageusia are prevalent symptoms in COVID-19 patients and can last for weeks. Sensory and olfactory functions perform an important role in swallowing. This article proposes the possible negative effect of the symptoms of anosmia and ageusia in the swallowing rehabilitation of dysphagia oropharyngeal and post-intubation in patients with COVID-19. It is important to consider that swallowing is a multisensory and pathological process, where taste and smell play a key role. In accordance with these factors, we propose future research incorporating objective evaluation methods of the affected senses in COVID-19 patients., La anosmia y ageusia son síntomas prevalentes en los pacientes COVID-19, cuya duración puede extenderse por semanas. Tanto el gusto como el olfato cumplen un rol fundamental en el proceso deglutorio. Este artículo propone consideraciones de los posibles efectos negativos de los síntomas de anosmia y ageusia en la rehabilitación de la disfagia orofaríngea y post-extubación en pacientes con COVID-19. Es importante considerar que la deglución es un proceso multisensorial y patológico, donde el gusto y el olfato juegan un papel fundamental. De acuerdo con estos factores, proponemos futuras investigaciones que incorporen métodos de evaluación objetiva de los sentidos afectados en pacientes con COVID-19.

People often confuse smell loss with taste loss, so it is unclear how much gustatory function is reduced in patients self-reporting taste loss. Our pre-registered cross-sectional study design included an online survey in 12 languages with instructions for self-Administering chemosensory tests with 10 household items. Between June 2020 and March 2021, 10,953 individuals participated. Of these, 5,225 self-reported a respiratory illness and were grouped based on their reported COVID test results: COVID-positive (COVID+, N = 3,356), COVID-negative (COVID-, N = 602), and COVID unknown for those waiting for a test result (COVID?, N = 1,267). The participants who reported no respiratory illness were grouped by symptoms: sudden smell/taste changes (STC, N = 4,445), other symptoms excluding smell or taste changes (OthS, N = 832), and no symptoms (NoS, N = 416). Taste, smell, and oral irritation intensities and self-Assessed abilities were rated on visual analog scales. Compared to the NoS group, COVID+ was associated with a 21% reduction in taste (95% confidence interval (CI): 15-28%), 47% in smell (95% CI: 37-56%), and 17% in oral irritation (95% CI: 10-25%) intensity. There were medium to strong correlations between perceived intensities and self-reported abilities (r = 0.84 for smell, r = 0.68 for taste, and r = 0.37 for oral irritation). Our study demonstrates that COVID-19-positive individuals report taste dysfunction when self-Tested with stimuli that have little to none olfactory components. Assessing the smell and taste intensity of household items is a promising, cost-effective screening tool that complements self-reports and may help to disentangle taste loss from smell loss. However, it does not replace standardized validated psychophysical tests.

Aim: Evaluation of oral lesions in COVID-hospitalized patients, analyzing the potential etiopathogenetic mechanisms. Materials and methods: We evaluated a total of 58 hospitalized COVID patients in the time span from April 2021 to May 2021. The group analyzed consists of 38 male patients (66%) and 20 female patients (34%), aged between 22 and 92, with a preponderance of 60–80 years. All patients underwent an oral evaluation in order to detect the various oral manifestations; moreover, the onset time of these lesions has been correlated with the time of manifestation of the general symptoms of COVID infection. Results: Xerostomia has been the most frequent oral manifestation detected (30 patients, 51.7% of the sample), followed by ageusia (16 patients, 27.6%), and white tongue (13 patients, 22.4%). Other oral manifestations observed were aphthous lesions, fissured tongue, metallic taste, tingling in the lip and chin, and burning mouth syndrome. Conclusion: Our findings show a significant correlation between the oral manifestations and the burst of viral replication phase in COVID patients. Clinical significance: Awareness of the possible oral manifestations of COVID infection is important to conduct a correct diagnosis in oral pathology.

Background One’s physical function and physical activity levels can predispose or protect from the development of respiratory infections. We aimed to explore the associations between pre-pandemic levels of physical function and physical activity and the development of COVID-19-like symptoms in Swedish older adults. Methods We analyzed data from 904 individuals aged ≥ 68 years from the population-based Swedish National study on Aging and Care in Kungsholmen. COVID-19-like symptoms were assessed by phone interview (March–June 2020) and included fever, cough, sore throat and/or a cold, headache, pain in muscles, legs and joints, loss of taste and/or odor, breathing difficulties, chest pain, gastrointestinal symptoms, and eye inflammation. Muscle strength, mobility, and physical activity were examined in 2016–2018 by objective testing. Data were analyzed using logistic regression models in the total sample and stratifying by age. Results During the first outbreak of the pandemic, 325 (36%) individuals from our sample developed COVID-19-like symptoms. Those with slower performance in the chair stand test had an odds ratio (OR) of 1.5 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.1–2.1) for presenting with COVID-19-like symptoms compared to better performers, after adjusting for potential confounders. The association was even higher among people aged ≥ 80 years (OR 2.6; 95% CI 1.5–4.7). No significant associations were found between walking speed or engagement in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity and the likelihood to develop COVID-19-like symptoms. Conclusion Poor muscle strength, a possible indicator of frailty, may predispose older adults to higher odds of developing COVID-19-like symptoms, especially among the oldest-old.

Background and purposeClinical outcomes of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients affected by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have been thoroughly investigated, but a further analysis on main signs and symptoms and their risk factors still needs attention. The objective of this study was to group together and describe based on similarity the most common signs and symptoms of COVID-19 in MS patients and identify all factors associated with their manifestation.MethodLogistic and linear regression models were run to recognize factors associated with each pooled group of symptoms and their total number.ResultsFrom March 2020 to November 2021, data were collected from 1354 MS patients with confirmed infection of COVID-19. Ageusia and anosmia was less frequent in older people (odds ratio [OR] 0.98; p = 0.005) and more in smoker patients (OR 1.39; p = 0.049). Smoke was also associated with an incremental number of symptoms (OR 1.24; p = 0.031), substance abuse (drugs or alcohol), conjunctivitis and rash (OR 5.20; p = 0.042) and the presence of at least one comorbidity with shortness of breath, tachycardia or chest pain (OR 1.24; p = 0.008). Some disease-modifying therapies were associated with greater frequencies of certain COVID-19 symptoms (association between anti-CD20 therapies and increment in the number of concomitant symptoms: OR 1.29; p = 0.05). Differences in frequencies between the three waves were found for flu-like symptoms (G1, p = 0.024), joint or muscle pain (G2, p = 0.013) and ageusia and anosmia (G5, p < 0.001). All cases should be referred to variants up to Delta.ConclusionSeveral factors along with the choice of specific therapeutic approaches might have a different impact on the occurrence of some COVID-19 symptoms.

Introduction The COVID-19 virus has already caused a pandemic and needs no fresh introduction. Many studies in western literature have described the prevalence of anosmia and ageusia as symptoms of COVID-19. However, to our knowledge, there is no study describing the trend of new onset ageusia amongst covid positive patients in the Indian population. The objective of this study is to analyze the trend of new onset ageusia in COVID-19 affected individuals in the Indian population. Materials and Methods This is a retrospective observational study conducted in a treatment facility set up in Eastern part of India. The data was collected from Sep 2020 to Dec 2020. The study included 422 patients who were laboratory confirmed COVID-19 positive cases. Clinical data was extracted from the medical records of the patients. All the patients were treated as inpatients. The data was collected by Critical care specialist and Physician. All patients were classified as asymptomatic and symptomatic. The presence or absence of new onset ageusia was documented and statistically analyzed. Results Of 422 cases studied, 401 (95.0%) were male and 21 (5.0%) were female with the mean age of 37.9 ± 8.3 years. 147 (34.8%) were symptomatic and 275 (65.2%) were asymptomatic with 18 % (76/422) patients having ageusia in the study population. Conclusion The prevalence of ageusia amongst covid positive patients in Indian population is lesser as compared to reports in the western literature. The cause of this difference in prevalence of ageusia in different ethnicities is unknown. Apparently healthy individuals with new onset ageusia should be considered as asymptomatic covid carriers and should be treated accordingly.

Introduction: Neurological aspect of COVID-19 is less understood compared to its respiratory and systemic effects. We aimed to define subacute neurological sequelae in patients who recovered from mild COVID-19. Materials and Methods: This study enrolled long COVID patients who had mild infection, were non-hospitalized, and admitted to our hospital with neurological complaints occurring after COVID-19. The evaluation included detailed history of the symptoms, neurological examination, blood tests and necessary investiga-tions relevant to their personal medical situation, and also a retrospective inqu-iry about their respiratory and neurological status during the acute phase of infection. Descriptive statistical measures, Chi-square and Student’s t-test were utilized. Results: We identified 50 patients (29F/21M) with a mean age of 36.9 ± 1.6 (mean ± SEM). The average time from COVID-19 to admission was 99 days(min-max= 15-247). Most frequent neurological complaints were headache (42%) and cognitive dysfunction (42%). Sleep disturbance (36%), prolonged anosmia (30%), prolonged ageusia (22%), fatigue (22%), and dizziness (8%) followed. Most patients with headache experienced headache also as an acute manifestation of COVID-19 (p= 0.02). Acute-stage sleep disorders were found to be more associated with subacute cognitive symptoms than other central symptoms (p= 0.008). The most common neurological symptom in the acute phase was headache (74%). Six patients, despite the absence of any acute-stage neurological symptoms, presented with emergence of subacute neurological sequela. There were only five patients with pulmonary involvement during the acute stage, who were not different from the rest of the cohort in terms of neurological sequelae. There was no increase of inflammatory markers in the blood tests at the subacute stage, or no association of the symptoms to bioche-mical parameters. Conclusion: This study gives a description of neurological sequelae of mild COVID-19

Introduction: Neurological aspect of COVID-19 is less understood compared to its respiratory and systemic effects. We aimed to define subacute neurological sequelae in patients who recovered from mild COVID-19. Materials and Methods: This study enrolled long COVID patients who had mild infection, were non-hospitalized, and admitted to our hospital with neurological complaints occurring after COVID-19. The evaluation included detailed history of the symptoms, neurological examination, blood tests and necessary investiga-tions relevant to their personal medical situation, and also a retrospective inqu-iry about their respiratory and neurological status during the acute phase of infection. Descriptive statistical measures, Chi-square and Student’s t-test were utilized. Results: We identified 50 patients (29F/21M) with a mean age of 36.9 ± 1.6 (mean ± SEM). The average time from COVID-19 to admission was 99 days(min-max= 15-247). Most frequent neurological complaints were headache (42%) and cognitive dysfunction (42%). Sleep disturbance (36%), prolonged anosmia (30%), prolonged ageusia (22%), fatigue (22%), and dizziness (8%) followed. Most patients with headache experienced headache also as an acute manifestation of COVID-19 (p= 0.02). Acute-stage sleep disorders were found to be more associated with subacute cognitive symptoms than other central symptoms (p= 0.008). The most common neurological symptom in the acute phase was headache (74%). Six patients, despite the absence of any acute-stage neurological symptoms, presented with emergence of subacute neurological sequela. There were only five patients with pulmonary involvement during the acute stage, who were not different from the rest of the cohort in terms of neurological sequelae. There was no increase of inflammatory markers in the blood tests at the subacute stage, or no association of the symptoms to bioche-mical parameters. Conclusion: This study gives a description of neurological sequelae of mild COVID-19

Aim: Evaluation of oral lesions in COVID-hospitalized patients, analyzing the potential etiopathogenetic mechanisms. Materials and methods: We evaluated a total of 58 hospitalized COVID patients in the time span from April 2021 to May 2021. The group analyzed consists of 38 male patients (66%) and 20 female patients (34%), aged between 22 and 92, with a preponderance of 60–80 years. All patients underwent an oral evaluation in order to detect the various oral manifestations; moreover, the onset time of these lesions has been correlated with the time of manifestation of the general symptoms of COVID infection. Results: Xerostomia has been the most frequent oral manifestation detected (30 patients, 51.7% of the sample), followed by ageusia (16 patients, 27.6%), and white tongue (13 patients, 22.4%). Other oral manifestations observed were aphthous lesions, fissured tongue, metallic taste, tingling in the lip and chin, and burning mouth syndrome. Conclusion: Our findings show a significant correlation between the oral manifestations and the burst of viral replication phase in COVID patients. Clinical significance: Awareness of the possible oral manifestations of COVID infection is important to conduct a correct diagnosis in oral pathology.

Introduction The COVID-19 virus has already caused a pandemic and needs no fresh introduction. Many studies in western literature have described the prevalence of anosmia and ageusia as symptoms of COVID-19. However, to our knowledge, there is no study describing the trend of new onset ageusia amongst covid positive patients in the Indian population. The objective of this study is to analyze the trend of new onset ageusia in COVID-19 affected individuals in the Indian population. Materials and Methods This is a retrospective observational study conducted in a treatment facility set up in Eastern part of India. The data was collected from Sep 2020 to Dec 2020. The study included 422 patients who were laboratory confirmed COVID-19 positive cases. Clinical data was extracted from the medical records of the patients. All the patients were treated as inpatients. The data was collected by Critical care specialist and Physician. All patients were classified as asymptomatic and symptomatic. The presence or absence of new onset ageusia was documented and statistically analyzed. Results Of 422 cases studied, 401 (95.0%) were male and 21 (5.0%) were female with the mean age of 37.9 ± 8.3 years. 147 (34.8%) were symptomatic and 275 (65.2%) were asymptomatic with 18 % (76/422) patients having ageusia in the study population. Conclusion The prevalence of ageusia amongst covid positive patients in Indian population is lesser as compared to reports in the western literature. The cause of this difference in prevalence of ageusia in different ethnicities is unknown. Apparently healthy individuals with new onset ageusia should be considered as asymptomatic covid carriers and should be treated accordingly.

Introduction The COVID-19 virus has already caused a pandemic and needs no fresh introduction. Many studies in western literature have described the prevalence of anosmia and ageusia as symptoms of COVID-19. However, to our knowledge, there is no study describing the trend of new onset ageusia amongst covid positive patients in the Indian population. The objective of this study is to analyze the trend of new onset ageusia in COVID-19 affected individuals in the Indian population. Materials and Methods This is a retrospective observational study conducted in a treatment facility set up in Eastern part of India. The data was collected from Sep 2020 to Dec 2020. The study included 422 patients who were laboratory confirmed COVID-19 positive cases. Clinical data was extracted from the medical records of the patients. All the patients were treated as inpatients. The data was collected by Critical care specialist and Physician. All patients were classified as asymptomatic and symptomatic. The presence or absence of new onset ageusia was documented and statistically analyzed. Results Of 422 cases studied, 401 (95.0%) were male and 21 (5.0%) were female with the mean age of 37.9 ± 8.3 years. 147 (34.8%) were symptomatic and 275 (65.2%) were asymptomatic with 18 % (76/422) patients having ageusia in the study population. Conclusion The prevalence of ageusia amongst covid positive patients in Indian population is lesser as compared to reports in the western literature. The cause of this difference in prevalence of ageusia in different ethnicities is unknown. Apparently healthy individuals with new onset ageusia should be considered as asymptomatic covid carriers and should be treated accordingly.

Sudden loss of smell and/or taste has been identified as an early symptom of SARS-CoV-2 2019 (COVID-19) infection, and presents an effective target for prompt self-isolation and reducing community spread. The current study sought to develop and test a novel, rapid, self-administered test to objectively measure smell and taste losses associated with COVID-19, and administered self-report questionnaires to characterise symptoms associated with COVID-19 in Singapore. Participants (N = 99) completed questionnaires to record recent changes in smell and taste ability. This was followed by the ‘Singapore Smell and Taste Test’ (SSTT), a personal, objective testing kit for daily self-assessment of smell and taste function at their place of residence. Seventy-two recruited participants were confirmed as COVID-19 positive at baseline, of which 58 completed the SSTT at home. Of these, 36.2% had objectively measured smell and/or taste loss. The SSTT measures of smell and taste function were positively associated with participants’ self-reported smell and taste acuity, and rated smell intensity of 6 common household items. This study presents the first application of the SSTT as a rapid, cost-effective, objective tool to self-monitor smell and taste function in a residential setting, and ensures comparability across individuals through the use of standardised stimuli. The SSTT has potential for future application in populations with limited access to formal COVID-19 testing as a self-administered objective method to monitor sudden changes in smell and taste, and to prompt early self-isolation, in order to reduce community transmission of COVID-19.

El virus SARS-Cov-2 es el agente responsable de la enfermedad Covid-19 la cual se ha extendido rápidamente en todo el mundo. Además de los síntomas principales asociados (tos seca, fatiga y fiebre) se han reportado alteraciones al sentido del olfato en la etapa inicial como síntoma frecuente en la mayoría de los pacientes infectados. Diversos estudios reportan que la aparición es repentina y severa, aunque reversible en la mayoría de los casos (80 %) en un periodo de 4-8 semanas, mientras que un 1-5 % mantiene cierta alteración. Aún se desconce la causa precisa de dicha alteración pero se piensa que un daño directo a las células de soporte de la cavidad nasal afectaría el funcionamiento de las células nerviosas responsables de transmitir las señales al bulbo olfatorio y cerebro, respectivamente. Su identificación temprana podría ser empleada como indicador de Covi-19, estableciendo medidas de aislamiento oportunas y así disminuir posibles contagios.

Background: It has been noted that olfactory and gustatory disturbances may precede or accompany the typical features of COVID-19, such as fever and cough. Hence, a high index of suspicion is required when patients report sudden loss of smell or taste, in order to facilitate timely diagnosis and isolation. Aims/objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the frequency of olfactory and gustatory disturbances in COVID-19 positive patients from a cohort representative of Melbourne, Australia. Method(s): A retrospective descriptive study was conducted on patients who tested positive for COVID-19. Standardised phone consultations and online follow-up questionnaires were performed to assess clinical features of COVID-19, with a focus on smell and taste disorders. Result(s): The most frequent symptoms experienced were taste and smell disturbances with 74% experiencing either smell or taste disturbance or both. Post-recovery, 34% of patients continued to experience ongoing hyposmia and 2% anosmia, whereas 28% continued to suffer from hypogeusia or ageusia. Conclusion and significance: This study presents the high rates of improvement of both olfactory and gustatory disturbance in a short-lived period. It also highlights the importance of these symptoms in prompting appropriate testing, quarantine precautions, initiate early olfactory retraining and the potential for continued sensory disturbance.Copyright © 2020 Acta Oto-Laryngologica AB (Ltd).

Background: It has been noted that olfactory and gustatory disturbances may precede or accompany the typical features of COVID-19, such as fever and cough. Hence, a high index of suspicion is required when patients report sudden loss of smell or taste, in order to facilitate timely diagnosis and isolation. Aims/objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the frequency of olfactory and gustatory disturbances in COVID-19 positive patients from a cohort representative of Melbourne, Australia. Method(s): A retrospective descriptive study was conducted on patients who tested positive for COVID-19. Standardised phone consultations and online follow-up questionnaires were performed to assess clinical features of COVID-19, with a focus on smell and taste disorders. Result(s): The most frequent symptoms experienced were taste and smell disturbances with 74% experiencing either smell or taste disturbance or both. Post-recovery, 34% of patients continued to experience ongoing hyposmia and 2% anosmia, whereas 28% continued to suffer from hypogeusia or ageusia. Conclusion and significance: This study presents the high rates of improvement of both olfactory and gustatory disturbance in a short-lived period. It also highlights the importance of these symptoms in prompting appropriate testing, quarantine precautions, initiate early olfactory retraining and the potential for continued sensory disturbance.Copyright © 2020 Acta Oto-Laryngologica AB (Ltd).

Objective: Our study aimed to compare symptoms day by day for non-hospitalized individuals testing positive and negative for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Methods: In total, 210 positive-test and 630 negative-test healthcare workers in the Central Denmark Region were followed for up to 90 days after testing, between April and June, 2020. Their daily reported COVID-19-related symptoms were compared graphically and by logistic regression. Results: Thirty per cent of the positive-test and close to 0% of the negative-test participants reported a reduced sense of taste and smell during all 90 days (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 86.07, 95% CI 22.86–323). Dyspnea was reported by an initial 20% of positive-test participants, declining to 5% after 30 days, without ever reaching the level of the negative-test participants (aOR 6.88, 95% CI 2.41–19.63). Cough, headache, sore throat, muscle pain, and fever were temporarily more prevalent among the positive-test participants; after 30 days, no increases were seen. Women and older participants were more susceptible to long-lasting COVID-19 symptoms. Conclusion: The prevalence of long-lasting reduced sense of taste and smell is highly increased in mild COVID-19 patients. This pattern is also seen for dyspnea at a low level, but not for cough, sore throat, headache, muscle pain, or fever.

Objective: Our study aimed to compare symptoms day by day for non-hospitalized individuals testing positive and negative for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Methods: In total, 210 positive-test and 630 negative-test healthcare workers in the Central Denmark Region were followed for up to 90 days after testing, between April and June, 2020. Their daily reported COVID-19-related symptoms were compared graphically and by logistic regression. Results: Thirty per cent of the positive-test and close to 0% of the negative-test participants reported a reduced sense of taste and smell during all 90 days (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 86.07, 95% CI 22.86–323). Dyspnea was reported by an initial 20% of positive-test participants, declining to 5% after 30 days, without ever reaching the level of the negative-test participants (aOR 6.88, 95% CI 2.41–19.63). Cough, headache, sore throat, muscle pain, and fever were temporarily more prevalent among the positive-test participants; after 30 days, no increases were seen. Women and older participants were more susceptible to long-lasting COVID-19 symptoms. Conclusion: The prevalence of long-lasting reduced sense of taste and smell is highly increased in mild COVID-19 patients. This pattern is also seen for dyspnea at a low level, but not for cough, sore throat, headache, muscle pain, or fever.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the occurrence of olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions in patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 infection. METHODS: Patients with laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 infection were recruited from 12 European hospitals. The following epidemiological and clinical outcomes have been studied: age, sex, ethnicity, comorbidities, and general and otolaryngological symptoms. Patients completed olfactory and gustatory questionnaires based on the smell and taste component of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, and the short version of the Questionnaire of Olfactory Disorders-Negative Statements (sQOD-NS). RESULTS: A total of 417 mild-to-moderate COVID-19 patients completed the study (263 females). The most prevalent general symptoms consisted of cough, myalgia, and loss of appetite. Face pain and nasal obstruction were the most disease-related otolaryngological symptoms. 85.6% and 88.0% of patients reported olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions, respectively. There was a significant association between both disorders (p < 0.001). Olfactory dysfunction (OD) appeared before the other symptoms in 11.8% of cases. The sQO-NS scores were significantly lower in patients with anosmia compared with normosmic or hyposmic individuals (p = 0.001). Among the 18.2% of patients without nasal obstruction or rhinorrhea, 79.7% were hyposmic or anosmic. The early olfactory recovery rate was 44.0%. Females were significantly more affected by olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions than males (p = 0.001). CONCLUSION: Olfactory and gustatory disorders are prevalent symptoms in European COVID-19 patients, who may not have nasal symptoms. The sudden anosmia or ageusia need to be recognized by the international scientific community as important symptoms of the COVID-19 infection.

The COVID-19 disease has generated alterations in the respiratory system of the human being, which have taken the lives of a large number of human beings. At the neuropsychological level, patients infected with COVID-19 have been reported who present symptoms that invite thinking that the brain would also be exposed to this virus. The neuropsychological disorders found are related to ageusia, anosmia, altered state of consciousness, paresthesia and others. This article reflects on this brain involvement by COVID-19, which, based on this situation that humanity is experiencing, must become a key topic in the study of the etiological factors of brain damage., A doença COVID-19 geroualterações no sistema respiratório do ser humano, que mataram um grande número de seres humanos. No nível neuropsicológico, foram relatados pacientes infectados com COVID-19 que apresentam sintomas que convidam a pensar que o cérebro também estaria exposto a esse vírus. Os distúrbios neuropsicológicos encontrados estão relacionados a ageusia, anosmia, estado alterado de consciência, parestesia e outros. Este artigo reflete sobre esse envolvimento cerebral do COVID-19, que, com base nessa situação que a humanidade está enfrentando, deve se tornar um tópico fundamental no estudo dos fatores etiológicos dos danos cerebrais., La enfermedad COVID-19 ha generado alteraciones en el sistema respiratorio del ser humano, las cuales han quitado la vida a un gran número de seres humanos. A nivel neuropsicológico se han reportado pacientes infectados con COVID-19 que presentan sintomatología que invita a pensar, que el cerebro también estaría expuesto a este virus. Los trastornos neuropsicológicos encontrados tienen relación con ageusia, anosmia, alteraciones del estado de conciencia, parestesia y otros. En este artículo se reflexiona sobre la afectación cerebral por COVID-19, que a partir de esta situación que vive la humanidad, debe convertirse en un tema clave en el estudio neuropsicológico de los factores etiológicos del daño cerebral.

The hexapeptide angiotensin IV (Ang IV) is a metabolite of angiotensin II (Ang II) and plays a central role in the brain. It was reported more than two decades ago that intracerebroventricular injection of Ang IV improved memory and learning in the rat. Several hypotheses have been put forward to explain the positive effects of Ang IV and related analogues on cognition. It has been proposed that the insulin-regulated aminopeptidase (IRAP) is the main target of Ang IV. This paper discusses progress in the discovery of inhibitors of IRAP as potential enhancers of cognitive functions. Very potent inhibitors of the protease have been synthesised, but pharmacokinetic issues (including problems associated with crossing the blood-brain barrier) remain to be solved. The paper also briefly presents an overview of the status in the discovery of inhibitors of ACE and renin, and of AT1R antagonists and AT2R agonists, in order to enable other discovery processes within the RAS system to be compared. The paper focuses on the relationship between binding affinities/inhibition capacity and the structures of the ligands that interact with the target proteins.

This article details a previously unreported arterial gas embolism (AGE) clinical presentation. A military aircrew candidate water survival course trainee lost his sense of taste (ageusia) after only a few compressed air breaths and ascending from the shallow depth of 4 ft. Ageusia was his only AGE sign or symptom. Rapidly diagnosing and treating AGE and other decompression illnesses is essential for positive patient outcomes and requires understanding the anatomic and physiologic effects of atmospheric pressure changes., Published in Journal of the Society of the United States Naval Flight Surgeons, Contact, v33 n2 p7-10 Jul 2011.

Prolonged and possibly permanent change in sensation due to lingual nerve damage can occur after mandibular block anesthesia. The condition is rare and little can be done to prevent its occurrence. A case report is presented and functional as well as legal implications are discussed. Also practical recommendations are given to help the dentist when faced with the situation.

Antecedentes : La OMS decidió añadir a los síntomas clínicos del Covid-19 como fiebre, tos, disnea y cansancio; las disfunciones olfativas y gustativas. Todavía existen enigmas con relación a fisiopatología de las alteraciones quimiosensoriales, su prevalencia y su duración en el tiempo. Los datos subjetivos son imprecisos y de fiabilidad relativa y los datos objetivos siguen siendo un reto para el operador por el riesgo de contagio. Objetivo: Analizar en la literatura, las alteraciones quimiosensoriales del gusto en pacientes con antecedente de Covid-19. Métodos: En esta revisión de alcance, se realizó una búsqueda empleando lenguaje controlado y no controlado en las bases de datos de PubMed, Science Direct, Google Academic, Scielo, Redalyc y Embase, se aplicaron criterios de inclusión y exclusión. Se obtuvieron 8 artículos, se evaluó la calidad según la escala de STROBE. El proceso se sistematizó en Mendeley. Se realizó la depuración de la información, la síntesis y resumen de los resultados. Resultados: 8 artículos con un total de 1334 pacientes (1064 Covid-19 positivos y 270 negativos) con o sin antecedente de disfunción gustativa, se les evaluó el sentido del gusto de manera objetiva. Se emplearon pruebas en tiras, aerosoles y bandas de sabor. De los 8 artículos y de los pacientes positivos, 199 pacientes presentaron ageusia, 242 hipogeusia y 562 normogeusia, sin embargo, 176 pacientes de esta última muestra presentaron hipogeusia inicialmente y que meses después presentaron normalidad. La disgeusia no fue reportada en ningún caso. Conclusiones: Las alteraciones quimiosensoriales del gusto son un síntoma claro de covid-19, sin embargo, existen muchos vacíos con respecto a su fisiopatología. El tipo de alteración es directamente proporcional al tiempo. Las pérdidas tipo ageusia están asociadas a paciente con infección grave. La hipogeusia es la alteración más común informada y evaluada en infección moderada y leve. La pérdida es temporal en días o meses.