- Membership & Community
-
Publications & News
- Journals
-
Newsroom
-
The Physiologist Magazine
- 2019
- 2020
- 2021
- 2022
-
Mentoring Forum
- Net Worth
- Take Care
- You … In Charge
- Work. It. Out.
- Working Off-site
- Location, Location, Location?
- Student Support
- Progressing to Postdoc
- Relationship Building
- Let’s Get It Started
- What Do We Value?
- It’s a Postdoc Life
- Coronavirus Contributions
- Creative Communications
- Selection Process
- Conference Connections
- Postdoc Appreciation
- Research Rewards
- Focus on Teaching
- Mentoring Q&A
- The Physiologist Magazine Readers Survey
- Evolution
- Baseline by Scott Steen, CAE, FASAE
- Find Us on Social Media
-
The Physiologist Magazine
-
Professional Development
-
Meetings & Events
- American Physiology Summit
- Comparative Physiology: From Organisms to Omics in an Uncertain World
- Webinars
- Related Meetings
- Future APS Conferences
-
Past APS Conferences
- APS/ASN Control of Renal Function in Health and Disease Conference
- Interface of Mathematical Models and Experimental Biology: Role of the Microvasculature Conference
- Aldosterone and ENaC in Health and Disease: The Kidney and Beyond Conference
- APS Institute on Teaching and Learning
- Integrative Physiology of Exercise
- Seventeenth International Conference on Endothelin (ET-17)
- New Trends in Sex and Gender Medicine
- APS Institute on Teaching and Learning (2022)
- Control of Renal Function in Health and Disease Conference
- Experimental Biology
- Conference Policies
- Awards
-
Career & Professional Development
-
Career Gateway
-
Resources
- Transcript—Leading Through Conflict and Difficult Conversations
- Transcript—Managing Conflict with Colleagues
- Transcript—Leading a Team Through Conflict
- Transcript—Providing Difficult Feedback
- Transcript—Team Dynamics and Culture Primer
- Transcript—Building a Team
- Transcript—Leading a Team Assigned to You
- Transcript—Creating a Team Culture
-
Resources
- Center for Physiology Education
- Jobs Board
- Professional Skills Training Courses
- Medical Physiology Refreshers
- Mentoring
- APS Graduate Physiology & Biomedical Science Catalog
-
Career Gateway
-
Meetings & Events
-
Advocacy & Resources
- Policy & Advocacy
-
Resources
- Researcher Resources
- Educator Resources
- Trainee Resources
- Student Resources
- COVID-19 Resources
-
APS Graduate Physiology & Biomedical Science Catalog
- Augusta University
- Brandeis University
- Chatham University
- Des Moines University
- East Carolina University
- East Tennessee State University
- George Washington University
- Kansas State University
- Kansas State University College of Veterinary Medicine
- Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center Shreveport
- Loyola University Chicago
- Marquette University
- Mayo Clinic Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences—Biomedical Engineering & Physiology
- Medical College of Wisconsin
- Michigan State University
- New York Medical College
- Nova Southeastern University
- Pennsylvania State University
- Rutgers Graduate Program in Physiology and Integrative Biology
- Saint Louis University
- Southern Illinois University
- Texas A&M University
- Texas A&M University Medical Physiology
- Stony Brook University
- The University of Arizona
- The University of Iowa
- The University of Mississippi Medical Center
- The University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC)
- The University of Texas at Arlington
- University of Alabama at Birmingham
- University at Buffalo
- University of California, Davis
- University of Colorado
- University of Delaware
- University of Florida
- University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine
- University of Louisville
- University of Michigan
- University of Minnesota
- University of Missouri-Biomedical Sciences
- University of Nebraska Medical Center
- University of New Mexico
- University of Oregon
- University of Texas Health Science Center
- Wayne State University
- West Virginia University Health Sciences Center
- Wake Forest University
- Physiology Department Catalog Submission Form
- Career Gateway
- Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
- About APS
Olfactory bulb damage may have lasting effect on cognitive function in ‘smell long haulers’
Rockville, Md. (August 2, 2022)—A review of studies about the effect of SARS-CoV-2—the virus that causes COVID-19—on the olfactory system introduces questions about whether loss of smell associated with COVID-19 infection may increase the risk of developing dementia later in life. The review is published ahead of print in the Journal of Neurophysiology (JNP).
Loss of smell (anosmia) is one of the hallmark symptoms associated with the first wave of COVID-19 in 2020, with an estimated 77–85% of people infected with the virus reporting loss or alteration of smell (parosmia). Although most people recover quickly from this dysfunction, an estimated 15 million people around the world are considered “smell long haulers” after otherwise recovering from COVID-19. They experience persistent anosmia or parosmia.
Studies have shown that the olfactory sensory epithelium—located in the upper area of the nose, close to where the olfactory nerve enters the olfactory bulb in the brain—carries a high viral load in people infected with SARS-CoV-2. The olfactory bulb is the structure in the brain that manages the sense of smell and sends sensory information to other areas of the brain for processing. These other brain regions are involved with learning, memory and emotion.
“All of this means that the [olfactory bulb] is involved in much more than smelling. It’s involved in the sense of place, memory, context, emotion, reward and many other processes,” said Leslie M. Kay, PhD, of the University of Chicago Department of Psychology, and author of the review.
Due to the proximity of the olfactory sensory epithelium to the olfactory bulb, COVID-19 infection could affect cognitive function even after recovery. A correlation between disrupted sense of smell and dementia has also been found in some people with neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. Animal studies have shown that damage to the bulb results in anxiety and a depression-like state.
Previous pandemics also lend support to the theory that “viral invasion of the [central nervous system] can be a trigger for neurodegeneration resulting in later neurological deficit,” Kay explained. The 1918 Spanish influenza pandemic led to a wave of people who developed Parkinson’s disease, and data from Denmark find that people who have had the flu have a 70% higher risk of developing Parkinson’s disease a decade later.
The review offers evidence that suggests inflammation introduced to the olfactory nerve and damage to the olfactory bulb via COVID-19 infection and immune response may also cause degeneration of brain structures connected to the olfactory system and cognitive impairment. More research is needed and is possible due to the technological advances available to scientists during the current pandemic, Kay said. “While a catastrophe on many levels, the COVID-19 pandemic presents an opportunity to improve human health.”
Read the full article, “COVID-19 and olfactory dysfunction: a looming wave of dementia?,” published ahead of print in the Journal of Neurophysiology (JNP).
NOTE TO JOURNALISTS: To schedule an interview with a member of the research team, please contact APS Media Relations or call 301.634.7314. Find more research highlights in our Newsroom.
Physiology is a broad area of scientific inquiry that focuses on how molecules, cells, tissues and organs function in health and disease. The American Physiological Society connects a global, multidisciplinary community of more than 10,000 biomedical scientists and educators as part of its mission to advance scientific discovery, understand life and improve health. The Society drives collaboration and spotlights scientific discoveries through its 16 scholarly journals and programming that support researchers and educators in their work.
Related Content
- Breathing Support Improves Lung Function in Near-term Newborns
- NSAID Improves Vascular Health in Adults with Severe Depression
- High-fat Diet Induces High Blood Pressure in Rat Kidneys
- Short on Sleep? Your Heart May Have a Harder Time Adjusting to Disruptions during Sleep
- Latest Research on Influence of Sex, Gender on Health and Disease to Be Presented at APS Conference
- Breakthrough Omicron COVID-19 Variant Cases Don’t Impair Vascular Health Post-infection in Young Otherwise Healthy Adults
- Exercise during Middle Age May Prevent Age-related Chronic Diseases
Contact Us
Communications Department
844.526.1700