Olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions are early symptoms of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Between 20-80% of infected individuals report subjective altered sense of smell and/or taste during infection. Up to ...2/3 of previously infected experience persistent olfactory and/or gustatory dysfunction after 6 months. The aim of this study was to examine subjective and psychophysical olfactory and gustatory function in non-hospitalized individuals with acute COVID-19 up to 6 months after infection. Individuals aged 18-80-years with a positive SARS-CoV-2 PCR test no older than 10 days, were eligible. Only individuals able to visit the outpatient examination facilities were included. Gustatory function was tested with the Burgharts Taste Strips and olfactory function was examined with the Brief Smell Identifications test (Danish version). Subjective symptoms were examined through an online questionnaire at inclusion, day 30, 90 and 180 after inclusion. Fifty-eight SARS-CoV-2 positive and 56 negative controls were included. 58.6% (34/58) of SARS-CoV-2 positive individuals vs. 8.9% (5/56) of negative controls reported subjective olfactory dysfunction at inclusion. For gustatory dysfunction, 46.5% (27/58) of positive individuals reported impairment compared to 8.9% (5/56) of negative controls. In psychophysical tests, 75.9% (46/58) had olfactory dysfunction and 43.1% (25/58) had gustatory dysfunction among the SARS-CoV-2 positive individuals at inclusion. Compared to negative controls, SARS-CoV-2 infected had significantly reduced olfaction and gustation. Previously infected individuals continued to report lower subjective sense of smell 30 days after inclusion, whereafter the difference between the groups diminished. However, after 180 days, 20.7% (12/58) positive individuals still reported reduced sense of smell and taste. Olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions are prevalent symptoms of SARS-CoV-2 infection, but there is inconsistency between subjective reporting and psychophysical test assessment of especially olfaction. Most individuals regain normal function after 30 days, but approximately 20% report persistent olfactory and gustatory dysfunction 6 months after infection.
Nasopharyngeal swabs (NPS) are considered the gold standard for SARS-CoV-2 testing but are technically challenging to perform and associated with discomfort. Alternative specimens for viral testing, ...such as oropharyngeal swabs (OPS) and nasal swabs, may be preferable, but strong evidence regarding their diagnostic sensitivity for SARS-CoV-2 testing is still missing. We conducted a head-to-head prospective study to compare the sensitivity of NPS, OPS and nasal swabs specimens for SARS-CoV-2 molecular testing. Adults with an initial positive SARS-CoV-2 test were invited to participate. All participants had OPS, NPS and nasal swab performed by an otorhinolaryngologist. We included 51 confirmed SARS-CoV-2-positive participants in the study. The sensitivity was highest for OPS at 94.1% (95% CI, 87 to 100%) compared to NPS at 92.5% (95% CI, 85 to 99%) (
= 1.00) and lowest for nasal swabs at 82.4% (95% CI, 72 to 93%) (
= 0.07). Combined OPS/NPS was detected in 100% of cases, while the combined OPS/nasal swab increased the sensitivity significantly to 96.1% (95% CI, 90 to 100%) compared to that of the nasal swab alone (
= 0.03). The mean Ct value for NPS was 24.98 compared to 26.63 for OPS (
= 0.084) and 30.60 for nasal swab (
= 0.002). OPS achieved a sensitivity comparable to NPS and should be considered an equivalent alternative for SARS-CoV-2 testing.
Mental retardation is seen in all individuals with Down syndrome (DS) and different brain abnormalities are reported. The aim of this study was to investigate if mental retardation at least in part ...is a result of a lower cell number in the neocortical part of the human fetal forebrain. We therefore compared brains of DS fetuses aged 19 weeks of gestation with normal control brains. The cell numbers were estimated using the optical fractionator method.
The total cell number in the neocortical part of four DS human fetal forebrain was found to be substantially smaller in DS compared to the normal fetus. The average total cell number of 6.85 billion was equal to a reduction by 34% compared to the 10.4 billion cells in a normal fetal brain of that age. This study indicates that the mental retardation found in DS is based on a structural deficit in the human fetal brain already present in the second trimester.
TOTAL CELL NUMBER IN FETAL BRAIN Samuelsen, Grethe Badsberg; Bogdanović, Nenad; Laursen, Henning ...
Image analysis & stereology,
05/2011, Letnik:
19, Številka:
1
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
In this study the material comprises brains from three aborted fetuses and two fullterm infants who died at birth.The gestational ages ranged from the 22nd week to term. All cases were without ...malformations, known chromosomal abnormality, hydrops, and systemic infections, and all had normal birth weights with fetal growth indices (observed birth weight/expected mean birth weight) between 0.9 - 1.05. The preliminary results show a five fold increase in the total cell population in the marginal zone/cortical plate, MZ/CP (future neocortex), from week 22 until term. In the transient subplate zone, SP, the total cell number was more than doubled from week 22 to week 30-35, and then decreased towards term. In the intermediate zone, IZ (future white matter), the total cell population was doubled from week 22 until term. The total cell number in the entricular/subventricular zone, VZ/SZ (germinal matrix), was reduced by a factor of five from week 22 until term. A histological differentiation between neurons and glial cells was not possible. The optical fractionator was used to estimate the total cell population in four characteristic developmental zones in the human fetal brain. Fetal brain tissue undergoes considerable and rather unpredictable shrinkage during fixation. However, using the fractionator principle it is possible to eliminate this problem, provided that the structure of interest (one brain hemisphere) is fully intact.
Background Olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions are early symptoms of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Between 20–80% of infected individuals report subjective altered sense of smell and/or taste during ...infection. Up to 2/3 of previously infected experience persistent olfactory and/or gustatory dysfunction after 6 months. The aim of this study was to examine subjective and psychophysical olfactory and gustatory function in non-hospitalized individuals with acute COVID-19 up to 6 months after infection. Methods Individuals aged 18-80-years with a positive SARS-CoV-2 PCR test no older than 10 days, were eligible. Only individuals able to visit the outpatient examination facilities were included. Gustatory function was tested with the Burgharts Taste Strips and olfactory function was examined with the Brief Smell Identifications test (Danish version). Subjective symptoms were examined through an online questionnaire at inclusion, day 30, 90 and 180 after inclusion. Results Fifty-eight SARS-CoV-2 positive and 56 negative controls were included. 58.6% (34/58) of SARS-CoV-2 positive individuals vs. 8.9% (5/56) of negative controls reported subjective olfactory dysfunction at inclusion. For gustatory dysfunction, 46.5% (27/58) of positive individuals reported impairment compared to 8.9% (5/56) of negative controls. In psychophysical tests, 75.9% (46/58) had olfactory dysfunction and 43.1% (25/58) had gustatory dysfunction among the SARS-CoV-2 positive individuals at inclusion. Compared to negative controls, SARS-CoV-2 infected had significantly reduced olfaction and gustation. Previously infected individuals continued to report lower subjective sense of smell 30 days after inclusion, whereafter the difference between the groups diminished. However, after 180 days, 20.7% (12/58) positive individuals still reported reduced sense of smell and taste. Conclusion Olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions are prevalent symptoms of SARS-CoV-2 infection, but there is inconsistency between subjective reporting and psychophysical test assessment of especially olfaction. Most individuals regain normal function after 30 days, but approximately 20% report persistent olfactory and gustatory dysfunction 6 months after infection.
The total number of cells – including both neurons and glial cells – was estimated in the neocortical part of the human fetal telencephalon in 22 normal brains within four major developmental zones: ...the cortical plate/marginal zone, the subplate, the intermediate zone and the ventricular/subventricular zone. The fetal ages ranged from 13 to 41 weeks of gestation. The cellular growth in the human fetal forebrain appears to be two-phased: one rapid, exponential phase from 13 to 20 weeks of gestation and a second and slower phase, which increases linearly, from approximately 22 weeks of gestation to term. From 13 to 20 weeks of gestation the total number of cells increases by a factor of 4.3 from 3 × 109 cells to 13 × 109 cells at 20 weeks of gestation. From mid-gestation to term, the total cell number increases by a factor of 2.9 to 38 × 109 cells in the newborn infant. Studying cellular growth in the normal human fetal brain is important since it may serve as a useful parameter for the assessment of cortical growth in non-invasive and histological studies, and thus improve the analysis of fetal brain disturbances.
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