Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38492007›Full record

Trial reportEuropean 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 Surgery2024

Persistent COVID-19 parosmia and olfactory loss post olfactory training: randomized clinical trial comparing central and peripheral-acting therapeutics.

Elena Cantone, Luca D'Ascanio, Pietro De Luca, Dalila Roccamatisi, Ignazio La La Mantia, Michael J Brenner, Arianna Di Stadio

Open access · hybridAbstract readRandomized Controlled TrialComparative Study
In one paragraph

Trial report in 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, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 11 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
11citing papers in PubMed, 2 pooled it
4.3field-weighted citation impact, top 5% of its field
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

11 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 12 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Therapeutic effect of anti-neuroinflammatory supplement combined with olfactory training on post-covid olfactory dysfunction: a systematic review and 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 · 2026
    Pooled it
  2. Pooled it
  3. Article
  4. Article
  5. Systematic Review of Randomized Clinical Trials for the Treatment of Long COVID Syndrome.Journal of community hospital internal medicine perspectives · 2026
    Article
  6. Review
  7. Review
  8. Article
  9. Article
  10. Review
  11. Real-World Outcomes of 3-Month Olfactory Training on Post-COVID-19 Parosmia.ORL; journal for oto-rhino-laryngology and its related specialties · 2025
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 5 institutions in 2 countries.

Elena Cantone *Department of Otolaryngology, Federico II University of Naples, Naples, Italy.
Luca D'AscanioDepartment of Otolaryngology, Ospedali Riuniti Marche Nord, Fano, Italy.
Pietro De LucaDepartment of Otolaryngology, Fatebenefratelli Isola Tiberina-Gemelli Isola, Rome, Italy.
Dalila RoccamatisiPsychology Department, UTIU, Rome, Italy.
Ignazio La La MantiaGF Ingrassia Department, University of Catania, Catania, Italy.
Michael J BrennerDepartment of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, University of Michigan Medical School, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.
Arianna Di Stadio *GF Ingrassia Department, University of Catania, Catania, Italy. ariannadistadio@hotmail.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5510-3814
University of Catania · ITFatebenefratelli Hospital · ITOspedali Riuniti Marche Nord · ITUniversity of Michigan · USUniversity of Naples Federico II · IT

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeAlthough COVID-19 anosmia is often transient, patients with persistent olfactory dysfunction (pOD) can experience refractory parosmia and diminished smell. This study evaluated four putative therapies for parosmia in patients with chronic COVID-19 olfactory impairment.

methodsAfter screening nasal endoscopy, 85 patients (49 female, 58%) with pOD and treatment-refractory parosmia were randomized to: (1) ultramicronized palmitoylethanolamide and luteolin + olfactory training (OT) (umPEALUT group, n = 17), (2) alpha-lipoic acid + OT (ALA group, n = 21), (3) umPEALUT + ALA + OT (combination group, n = 28), or 4) olfactory training (OT) alone (control group, n = 23). Olfactory function was assessed at baseline (T

resultsThe umPEALUT group had the largest improvement in TDI scores (21.8 ± 9.4 to 29.7 ± 7.5) followed by the combination group (19.6 ± 6.29 to 27.5 ± 2.7), both p < 0.01. The control and ALA groups had no significant change. Patients in the combination and umPEALUT groups had significantly improved TDI scores compared to ALA and control groups (p < 0.001). Rates of parosmia resolution after 6 months were reported at 96% for combination, 65% for control, 53% for umPEALUT and 29% for ALA (p < 0.001). All treatment regimens were well-tolerated.

conclusionsumPEALUT and OT, with or without ALA, was associated with improvement in TDI scores and parosmia, whereas OT alone or OT with ALA were associated with little benefit.

Indexed as

COVID-19Olfaction DisordersThioctic AcidAdultAgedAmidesAnosmiaCombined Modality TherapyEthanolaminesFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedOlfactory TrainingPalmitic AcidsSARS-CoV-2AmidesEthanolaminespalmidrolPalmitic AcidsThioctic AcidAlpha lipoic acidAnosmiaCoronavirus long-COVIDPalmitoylethanolamideParosmia

Identifiers

PMID38492007
PMCPMC11211159
OpenAlexW4392885438

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.