Search
Presentation Details
| Poster #225 Objective Assessment of Long-term Impact of COVID-19 on Multiple Sensory Functions: A Preliminary Report |
| Veronica L. Formanek1, Ahmad Odeh1, Christina Smith1, Nidhi Jha1, Junichi Tajino1, Jessica H. Lewis1, Lauren Gastineau1, Shivani Patel1, Songzhu Zhao2, Lai Wei2, Aaron C. Moberly3, Daniel M. Merfeld1, Christopher T. Simons4, Megan J. Kobel5, Kai Zhao1 1Department of Otolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery, the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center , Columbus, OH, United States 2Department of Biomedical Informatics and Center for Biostatistics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States 3Department of Otolaryngology, Head & Neck Surgery, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United States 4Department of Food Science and Technology, the Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, United States 5Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, United States |
This study investigates post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC) on broad sensory functions. 60 subjects (age 27-78) contracted COVID-19 between 1/17/2020-12/21/2023 and continue to have symptoms (4.3-52.9, median=27.48 months) were recruited. Objective testing included 1) smell: 9-Item NIH Toolbox odor identification, detection threshold to phenyl-ethyl alcohol, and retro-nasal candy test; 2) taste: modified NIH toolbox; 3) chemesthesis: menthol lateralization thresholds; 4) hearing: pure-tone audiometry, otoacoustic emissions, speech-in-noise recognition, and Dichotic Digits Test; 5) vestibular: video head impulse testing, Subjective Visual Vertical, vestibular perceptual thresholds, and modified Romberg balance test. Overall, subjects self-reported high overlapping sensory losses: 67.3% smell, 63.6% taste, 56.5% balance and dizziness, 31.8% auditory, and 51.3% brain fog or cognitive dysfunctions, with varying discrepancy to the objective losses (smell 65.5%, taste 16%, vestibular 31.6%, hearing 53.4%, and cognition 19.1%). Significant differences were found between subjects reporting diminished vs distorted senses, and between sensory stimuli (e.g. sweet vs sour). Significant associations were found between objective vestibular and auditory losses (p=0.04), cognitive and vestibular impairments (p=0.0207), nasal trigeminal and self-reported smell/taste losses (23/30), but not between objective smell and taste dysfunctions. Hospitalization significantly associated with smell, cognitive, and vestibular dysfunctions (p<0.05). Age significantly associated with auditory and vestibular dysfunctions (p<0.01). COVID-19 impacts sensory systems broadly and differently, driven in part by aging and initial disease severity. Subjective symptoms were not always corroborated by objective deficits. |