A follow-up on quantitative and qualitative olfactory dysfunction and other symptoms in patients recovering from COVID-19 smell loss.

BACKGROUND: Sudden smell loss is a specific early symptom of COVID-19, which, prior to the emergence of Omicron, had estimated prevalence of ~40% to 75%. Chemosensory impairments affect physical and mental health, and dietary behavior. Thus, it is critical to understand the rate and time course of smell recovery. The aim of this cohort study was to characterize smell function and recovery up to 11 months post COVID-19 infection. METHODS: This longitudinal survey of individuals suffering COVID-19-related smell loss assessed disease symptoms and gustatory and olfactory function. Participants (n=12,313) who completed an initial survey (S1) about respiratory symptoms, chemosensory function and COVID-19 diagnosis between April and September 2020, were invited to complete a follow-up survey (S2). Between September 2020 and February 2021, 27.5% participants responded (n=3,386), with 1,468 being diagnosed with COVID-19 and suffering co-occurring smell and taste loss at the beginning of their illness. RESULTS: At follow-up (median time since COVID-19 onset ~200 days), ~60% of women and ~48% of men reported less than 80% of their pre-illness smell ability. Taste typically recovered faster than smell, and taste loss rarely persisted if smell recovered. Prevalence of parosmia and phantosmia was ~10% of participants in S1 and increased substantially in S2: ~47% for parosmia and ~25% for phantosmia. Persistent smell impairment was associated with more symptoms overall, suggesting it may be a key marker of long-COVID illness. The ability to smell during COVID-19 was rated slightly lower by those who did not eventually recover their pre-illness ability to smell at S2. CONCLUSIONS: While smell ability improves for many individuals who lost it during acute COVID-19, the prevalence of parosmia and phantosmia increases substantially over time. Olfactory dysfunction is associated with broader persistent symptoms of COVID-19, and may last for many months following acute COVID-19. Taste loss in the absence of smell loss is rare. Persistent qualitative smell symptoms are emerging as common long-term sequelae; more research into treatment options is strongly warranted given that even conservative estimates suggest millions of individuals may experience parosmia following COVID-19. Healthcare providers worldwide need to be prepared to treat post COVID-19 secondary effects on physical and mental health.

[Current state of the scientific activity of the Aachen group concerning number processing]. / Estado actual de la actividad científica del grupode Aquisgrán sobre el procesamiento numérico.

INTRODUCTION: The research group from Willmes and colleagues is one of the most advanced research groups in cognitive neuroscience. The use and nature of the numeric magnitude representation constitutes one of the study objects of the mentioned research group. This mental representation provokes a great controversy among the members of the scientific community studying number processing and arithmetic. As a consequence, there are several different theoretical models concerning number processing. In this work, we have reviewed some of the scientific studies realized by the Aachen group concerning number processing, with the aim to expound the current state of its activity. DEVELOPMENT: In the works from Willmes and colleagues, we can notice a logic sequence, regarding the formulation of work hypothesis. The course of evolution of their activity starts studying number processing and arithmetic on German listener population and continues with a progressive integration of the German deaf population into their work. There is, as well, an emergent trend in this group to research number processing at the classroom. This means to examine the underlying mental representations in the education field. CONCLUSIONS: The information included in the studies analyzed here, leads to several scientific questions which need to be researched in future studies, and questions and complements what has been supported by other research groups.

Estado actual de la actividad científica del grupo de Aquisgrán sobre el procesamiento numérico / Currents state of the scientific activity of the aachen group concerning number processing

El grupo de investigación de Willmes es uno de los más avanzados en el área de la neuropsicologíacognitiva. El uso y la naturaleza de la representación de magnitud numérica constituye uno de los objetos de estudio de dicho grupo. Esta representación mental suscita una gran controversia entre los miembros de la comunidad científica dedicados alestudio del cálculo y del procesamiento numérico, y ha dado lugar a varios modelos teóricos divergentes de este subsistema cognitivo. En este trabajo se han revisado algunos de los estudios científicos realizados por el grupo de Aquisgrán en el área de estudio del procesamiento numérico, con el fin de presentar el estado actual de su actividad. Desarrollo. En los trabajos del grupo de Willmes se puede apreciar una secuencia lógica, en relación con la formulación de hipótesis de trabajo. El curso de evolución que sigue su actividad parte del estudio del procesamiento numérico y del cálculo en la población oyente alemana,y continúa progresivamente con la integración de la comunidad sorda alemana en su trabajo. Asimismo, en el desarrollo de su actividad, se aprecia una tendencia emergente a estudiar el procesamiento numérico en el aula escolar, lo que implica examinar las representaciones mentales subyacentes en el ámbito educativo. Conclusión. La información aportada por los estudios aquí analizados deja por contestar diversas preguntas científicas que deberán responderse en futuros estudios; asimismo, cuestiona y complementa lo aportado por otros grupos de investigación

The research group from Willmes and colleagues is one of the most advanced research groups incognitive neuroscience. The use and nature of the numeric magnitude representation constitutes one of the study objects of the mentioned research group. This mental representation provokes a great controversy among the members of the scientific community studying number processing and arithmetic. As a consequence, there are several different theoretical modelsconcerning number processing. In this work, we have reviewed some of the scientific studies realized by the Aachen group concerning number processing, with the aim to expound the current state of its activity. Development. In the works from Willmes and colleagues, we can notice a logic sequence, regarding the formulation of work hypothesis. The course ofevolution of their activity starts studying number processing and arithmetic on German listener population and continues with a progressive integration of the German deaf population into their work. There is, as well, an emergent trend in this group toresearch number processing at the classroom. This means to examine the underlying mental representations in the education field. Conclusions. The information included in the studies analyzed here, leads to several scientific questions which need to be researched in future studies, and questions and complements what has been supported by other research groups