Variability in P2X receptor composition in human taste nerves: implications for treatment of chronic cough.

Background: Antagonists to the P2X purinergic receptors on airway sensory nerves relieve refractory or unexplained chronic cough (RCC/UCC) but can evoke unwanted dysgeusias because the gustatory nerves innervating taste buds express this same family of receptors. However, the subunit composition of the P2X receptors in these systems may differ, with implications for pharmacological intervention of RCC/UCC. In most species, the extrapulmonary airway nerves involved in cough predominantly express P2X3 subunits that form homotrimeric P2X3 receptors.

Parosmia as a predictor of a better olfactory function in COVID-19: a multicentric longitudinal study for upper respiratory tract infections.

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate the course of olfactory dysfunction [OD] due to upper respiratory tract infections [URTI] especially for COVID-19 [C19] in a multicentric design and to investigate possible predictors for the outcome.

Methods: In a multicentric study, patients (n = 147, of which 96 were women) with OD due to URTI, including C19 and non-C19 were evaluated at two visits with a standardized medical history and "Sniffin' Sticks" extended psychophysical testing to examine the course and possible predictors for improvement of olfactory function.

Results: C19 patients showed better overall olfactory function (p < 0.

Smell, taste and trigeminal function: similarities and differences between results from home tests and examinations in the clinic.

Background: This study aimed to examine an easy-to-conduct home chemosensory test as a screening tool prior to clinical testing and to investigate the associations between home and clinical tests.

Methods: We examined 200 participants who performed a chemosensory test including subjective ratings as well as psychophysical smell, taste and trigeminal function tests at their homes. Following that, they were invited to the clinic for standardized testing using the Sniffin sticks test for assessment of olfactory function, taste sprays and strips for taste function, and a lateralization test for trigeminal function.

COVID-19: Recovery from Chemosensory Dysfunction. A Multicentre study on Smell and Taste.

Objective/hypothesis: With the COVID-19 pandemic, chemosensory dysfunction are among the most prevalent symptoms. Most reports are subjective evaluations, which have been suggested to be unreliable. The objective is to test chemosensory dysfunction and recovery based on extensive psychophysical tests in COVID-19 during the course of the disease.

Loss of bacterial diversity in the sinuses is associated with lower smell discrimination scores.

Olfactory impairment affects ~ 20% of the population and has been linked to various serious disorders. Microbes in the nasal cavity play a key role in priming the physiology of the olfactory epithelium and maintaining a normal sense of smell by the host. The aim of this study was to explore the link between olfactory dysfunction and nasal bacterial communities.

Olfactory and Gustatory Dysfunction as an Early Identifier of COVID-19 in Adults and Children: An International Multicenter Study.

Objective: To evaluate the prevalence and characteristics of olfactory or gustatory dysfunction in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients.

Study Design: Multicenter case series.

Setting: Five tertiary care hospitals (3 in China, 1 in France, 1 in Germany).

Predictive Value of Sudden Olfactory Loss in the Diagnosis of COVID-19.

Introduction: Recent reports suggest that sudden smell loss might be a symptom of SARS-CoV-2 infection. The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency of olfactory loss in an outpatient population who presented to a coronavirus testing center during a 2-week period and to evaluate the diagnostic value of the symptom "sudden smell loss" for screening procedures.

Methods: In this cross-sectional controlled cohort study, 500 patients who presented with symptoms of a common cold to a corona testing center and fulfilled corona testing criteria completed a standardized diagnostic questionnaire which included the patients' main symptoms, time course, and an additional self-assessment of the patients' current smell, taste function, and nasal breathing compared to the level before the onset of symptoms.

Olfactory and Gustatory Dysfunction as An Early Identifier of COVID-19 in Adults and Children: An International Multicenter Study.

Objective: Evaluate the prevalence and characteristics of olfactory or gustatory dysfunction in COVID-19 patients Study Design: Multicenter Case Series Setting: 5 tertiary care hospitals (3 in China, 1 in France, 1 in Germany) Subjects and Methods: 394 PCR confirmed COVID-19 positive patients were screened, and those with olfactory or gustatory dysfunction were included. Data including demographics, COVID-19 severity, patient outcome, and the incidence and degree of olfactory and/or gustatory dysfunction were collected and analyzed. The Questionnaire of Olfactory Disorders (QOD) and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) were used to quantify olfactory and gustatory dysfunction respectively.

Quality of Life in Patients With Olfactory Loss Is Better Predicted by Flavor Identification Than by Orthonasal Olfactory Function.

To date, most studies on the relationship between chemosensory performance and quality of life have focused on orthonasal measures of olfactory function. In the current investigation, we examined the predictive value of orthonasal and flavor identification indices of olfactory function on a wide spectrum of health and sociopsychological factors, including quality of life, life satisfaction, overall health, and depressive symptoms. Participants were 178 ENT patients (Mage = 58 ± 1), representing various causes of olfactory loss: idiopathic smell loss (n = 51; Mage = 63 ± 2), sinunasal disease (n = 27; Mage = 56 ± 3), head trauma (n = 33; Mage = 51 ± 2), and infections of the upper respiratory tract (n = 67; Mage = 59 ± 2).