CASE REPORT
Post-COVID-19 Olfactory and Gustatory Dysfunction: Photobiomodulation Therapy as a Treatment Option in a Series of Cases
Déborah Santos Sales1, 2, *
Article Information
Identifiers and Pagination:
Year: 2023Volume: 17
E-location ID: e1874205X2309190
Publisher ID: e1874205X2309190
DOI: 10.2174/011874205X254822230922114001
Article History:
Received Date: 24/03/2023Revision Received Date: 27/07/2023
Acceptance Date: 13/08/2023
Electronic publication date: 23/10/2023
Collection year: 2023
open-access license: This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Public License (CC-BY 4.0), a copy of which is available at: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode. This license permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Abstract
Introduction:
Coronaviruses patients may develop various neurological complications, including loss of smell and taste. Rehabilitation programs should be considered for patients with disabilities lasting longer than two weeks. The present pilot study evaluated photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) as a treatment option for olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions.
Case Representation:
The study included six patients with coronavirus disease with olfactory and gustatory complaints who were part of a cohort of 172 coronavirus disease patients monitored for late neurological manifestations. Olfactory and gustatory functions were evaluated using visual analog scales applied at baseline, end, and 6 months after treatment. 36-item Short-Form General Health Survey and a questionnaire containing closed questions were also administered. All scales were applied by a researcher blinded to the results of the given intervention. An intranasal PBMT protocol was applied, with 16 laser sessions performed twice a week at a 48-hour interval.
Results:
A statistically significant difference was observed between the medians of the visual analogue scale scores for olfactory and gustatory disorders before, after, and six months later. The medians of the physical role, social functioning, general health, and emotional role SF-36 domains were higher after treatment, suggesting improved quality of life.
Conclusion:
The results observed in this study suggest that PBMT can be an effective resource for patients with long-term COVID-19.
