Paranhos Alna Carolina Mendes, Dias Apio Ricardo Nazareth, Mendes Erick Antonio Rodrigues, Paixão Emily Vitória Almeida, Silva Samuel Franco Viana Santos, Dos Santos Lidiane Palheta Miranda, Koury Gisele Vieira Hennemann, Domingues Mariângela Moreno, Quaresma Juarez Antônio Simões, da Silva Souza Givago, Falcão Luiz Fábio Magno
Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Universidade do Estado do Pará, Trav. Perebebui, 2623, Belém, PA, 66023-000, Brazil.
Núcleo de Medicina Tropical, Universidade Federal do Pará, Av. Generalissimo Deodoro, 92, Belém, Pará, 66055-240, Brazil.
Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci. 2025 Sep 12. doi: 10.1007/s00406-025-02116-7.
Persistent olfactory dysfunction (OD) and cognitive impairment are among the most frequently reported sequelae of long term infection with SARS-CoV-2 (long COVID-19). However, the association between these conditions remains unclear. This study investigated the correlation between OD and cognitive impairment in patients recovering from COVID-19 to identify the implications for therapeutic and rehabilitation strategies.
A cross-sectional study of adult patients diagnosed with long COVID was conducted at a healthcare centre in Brazil. Olfactory function was assessed using the Connecticut Chemosensory Clinical Research Centre (CCCRC) test, and cognitive performance was evaluated using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). Statistical analyses included odds ratios (OR) and linear regression to explore the association between OD severity and cognitive scores, adjusting for potential confounders such as age, sex, and comorbidities.
A total of 241 patients (age: 48.60 ± 12.68 years; 73% female) were included. Cognitive impairment (MoCA < 23) was present in 64% of the participants. OD was identified in 92% of the patients and ranged from mild to anosmia. Linear regression analysis showed a weak yet statistically significant correlation between the CCCRC and MoCA scores (R = 0.14, p = 0.02). An OR of 2.87 (95% CI: 1.57-5.25, p = 0.00) indicated higher odds of cognitive impairment in patients with severe OD.
This study supports the hypothesis that there is a weak yet significant association between OD and cognitive impairment in patients with long COVID. These findings underscore the importance of early screening for olfactory dysfunction as a potential marker of cognitive monitoring and the need for intervention in this population.
持续性嗅觉功能障碍（OD）和认知障碍是严重急性呼吸综合征冠状病毒2（SARS-CoV-2）长期感染（长程新冠肺炎）最常报告的后遗症。然而，这些情况之间的关联仍不清楚。本研究调查了新冠肺炎康复患者中OD与认知障碍之间的相关性，以确定其对治疗和康复策略的影响。
在巴西的一个医疗中心对诊断为长程新冠肺炎的成年患者进行了一项横断面研究。使用康涅狄格化学感觉临床研究中心（CCCRC）测试评估嗅觉功能，使用蒙特利尔认知评估量表（MoCA）评估认知表现。统计分析包括比值比（OR）和线性回归，以探讨OD严重程度与认知分数之间的关联，并对年龄、性别和合并症等潜在混杂因素进行校正。
共纳入241例患者（年龄：48.60±12.68岁；73%为女性）。64%的参与者存在认知障碍（MoCA<23）。92%的患者被诊断为OD，程度从轻度到嗅觉丧失不等。线性回归分析显示CCCRC和MoCA分数之间存在微弱但具有统计学意义的相关性（R=0.14，p=0.02）。OR为2.87（95%CI：1.57-5.25，p=0.00）表明严重OD患者发生认知障碍的几率更高。
本研究支持以下假设，即长程新冠肺炎患者的OD与认知障碍之间存在微弱但显著的关联。这些发现强调了早期筛查嗅觉功能障碍作为认知监测潜在标志物的重要性，以及对该人群进行干预的必要性。
