| Title | COVID-19 and the Chemical Senses: Supporting Players Take Center Stage. | ||
| Author | Cooper, Keiland W; Brann, David H; Farruggia, Michael C; Bhutani, Surabhi; Pellegrino, Robert; Tsukahara, Tatsuya; Weinreb, Caleb; Joseph, Paule V; Larson, Eric D; Parma, Valentina; Albers, Mark W; Barlow, Linda A; Datta, Sandeep Robert; Di Pizio, Antonella | ||
| Journal | Neuron | Publication Year/Month | 2020-Jul |
| PMID | 32640192 | PMCID | PMC7328585 |
| Affiliation + expend | 1.Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, University of California Irvine, Irvine, CA, USA. | ||
The main neurological manifestation of COVID-19 is loss of smell or taste. The high incidence of smell loss without significant rhinorrhea or nasal congestion suggests that SARS-CoV-2 targets the chemical senses through mechanisms distinct from those used by endemic coronaviruses or other common cold-causing agents. Here we review recently developed hypotheses about how SARS-CoV-2 might alter the cells and circuits involved in chemosensory processing and thereby change perception. Given our limited understanding of SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis, we propose future experiments to elucidate disease mechanisms and highlight the relevance of this ongoing work to understanding how the virus might alter brain function more broadly.