Olfactory system measurements in COVID-19: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

ABSTRACT:

Purpose

The neurotropism of SARS-CoV-2 and the consequential damage to the olfactory system have been proposed as one of the possible underlying causes of olfactory dysfunction in COVID-19. We aimed to aggregate the results of the studies which reported imaging of the olfactory system of patients with COVID-19 versus controls.

Methods

PubMed and EMBASE were searched to identify relevant literature reporting the structural imaging characteristics of the olfactory bulb (OB), olfactory cleft, olfactory sulcus (OS), or olfactory tract in COVID-19 patients. Hedge's g and weighted mean difference were used as a measure of effect size. Quality assessment, subgroup analyses, meta-regression, and sensitivity analysis were also conducted.

Results

Ten studies were included in th

SUBMITTER: Mohammadi S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9288925 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature