SynthesisInternational forum of allergy & rhinology2016
Efficacy of olfactory training in patients with olfactory loss: a systematic review and meta-analysis.
Synthesis in International forum of allergy & rhinology, 2016. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to 7 registered trials, which are not on this map. Cited by 100 papers, 12 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Steroid Nasal Irrigation for Flavor Evaluation and Detection (SNIFFED) Study
COVID-19 Anosmia Study
Efficacy of Bimodal Visual-Olfactory Training in Participants With COVID-19 Resultant Hyposmia or Anosmia Using Participant-Preferred Scents
Fluvoxamine to Augment Olfactory Recovery For Long COVID-19 Parosmia (FluCOP Trial)
Smell in COVID-19 and Efficacy of Nasal Theophylline 3
Olfactory Performance in Culinary Arts Students
Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Versus Lifestyle Intervention for Long-Haul Covid-19 Parosmia (LCP)
Who cites it
100 citing papers in PubMed, 12 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 286 citations in OpenAlex.
- Treatment of COVID-19 Associated Olfactory Dysfunction: A Systematic Review.Current allergy and asthma reports · 2024Pooled it
- The efficacy of olfactory training in improving olfactory function: a meta-analysis.European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery · 2024Pooled it
- The effectiveness of olfactory training for chronic olfactory disorder following COVID-19: a systematic review.Frontiers in human neuroscience · 2024Pooled it
- Interventions for the prevention of persistent post-COVID-19 olfactory dysfunction.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2022Pooled it
- Interventions for the treatment of persistent post-COVID-19 olfactory dysfunction.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2022Pooled it
- Treatment strategies for postviral olfactory dysfunction: A systematic review.Allergy and asthma proceedings · 2022Pooled it
- Interventions for the treatment of persistent post-COVID-19 olfactory dysfunction.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2021Pooled it
- Interventions for the prevention of persistent post-COVID-19 olfactory dysfunction.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2021Pooled it
- Effects of olfactory training on posttraumatic olfactory dysfunction: a systematic review and meta-analysis.International forum of allergy & rhinology · 2021Pooled it
- Prevalence of Olfactory Dysfunction in Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19): A Meta-analysis of 27,492 Patients.The Laryngoscope · 2021Pooled it
- Steroids and Olfactory Training for Postviral Olfactory Dysfunction: A Systematic Review.Frontiers in neuroscience · 2021Pooled it
- Treatment of post-viral olfactory dysfunction: an evidence-based review with recommendations.International forum of allergy & rhinology · 2020Pooled it
- Effectiveness of platelet-rich plasma on post-COVID chronic olfactory dysfunction.Revista da Associacao Medica Brasileira (1992) · 2023Trial
- Olfactory training with Aromastics: olfactory and cognitive effects.European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery · 2022Trial
- Trial
- Smell Changes and Efficacy of Nasal Theophylline (SCENT) irrigation: A randomized controlled trial for treatment of post-viral olfactory dysfunction.American journal of otolaryngologyTrial
- Lost and Found: Is Olfactory Recovery More Promising After COVID-19 Than Other Causes, Even 2 Years Later?International forum of allergy & rhinology · 2026Article
- Regenerating smell in neurodegenerative disease -translating theory into therapy.European archives of oto-rhino-laryngology : official journal of the European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies (EUFOS) : affiliated with the German Society for Oto-Rhino-Laryngology - Head and Neck Surgery · 2026Review
- Platelet-Rich Plasma-Derived Exosome Olfactory Cleft Injection for Treating Traumatic Olfactory Dysfunction.Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Importance of Smell Loss to Patients With Chronic Rhinosinusitis With Nasal Polyps: Options for Management and Recovery.Clinical and translational allergy · 2026Review
40 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundOlfactory loss is a challenging clinical problem with few proven therapeutic options. Early experimental results with olfactory training suggest that this novel therapy may be an effective intervention for olfactory dysfunction of multiple etiologies. The aim of this study was to systematically review currently available studies that assess the efficacy and outcomes of olfactory training in patients with olfactory loss.
methodsA comprehensive systematic literature review was performed with the assistance of a reference librarian using the PubMed, PsycInfo, Google Scholar, EMBASE, and Proquest databases. Eligible studies were extracted based on defined inclusion criteria and the effect of olfactory training on objective olfactory function was evaluated qualitatively and by meta-analysis.
resultsA total of 10 studies with 639 patients were identified and systematically reviewed. Sufficient data for meta-analysis was available for 3 studies. Patients receiving olfactory training experienced a statistically significant improvement in the Threshold, Discrimination, Identification (TDI) score compared to control patients (mean difference [MD] 3.77; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.28 to 5.26). Improvement in olfactory function was observed in discrimination (MD 1.92; 95% CI, 1.13 to 2.71) and identification (MD 1.61; 95% CI, 0.55 to 2.68), but not in olfactory thresholds (MD -0.01; 95% CI, -0.42 to 0.39).
conclusionOlfactory training is a promising modality for the treatment of olfactory dysfunction. Results of this systematic review and meta-analysis suggest that it may be an effective treatment for olfactory dysfunction due to multiple etiologies. Additional high-quality studies are needed to define indications, outcomes, and duration of therapy for this novel therapy.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.