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COVID-19's long-term effects on chemosensory functions

A group of Canadian researchers has recently conducted a comprehensive study investigating the long-term effects of COVID-19.

5 Jul 2021

Alarming COVID study indicates long-term loss of gray matter and other brain tissue

In a research paper recently uploaded to the preprint server medRxiv* by Prof. Gwenaëlle Douaud et al. (June 15th, 2021), participants that had taken part in a brain study prior to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic were invited back for a series of follow-up tests, revealing significant losses of grey matter surrounding the olfactory and gustatory system in those that had been infected with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

18 Jun 2021

Why do we lose our sense smell/taste with COVID?

The angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) enzyme attached to the membranes of cells is the entry point for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). They are abundantly found all over the body and most prominently in the lungs and nose.

28 Apr 2021

Treating post-infectious smell loss in COVID-19 patients

News-Medical catches up with Professor Carl Philpott about the latest findings regarding COVID-19 and smell loss.

18 Jan 2021

D614/G614 variants of SARS-CoV-2 affect neuronal transmission; G614 better at membrane fusion

The COVID-19 pandemic is showing a strong comeback after an initial reduction in the number of cases, following energetic public health interventions.

7 Dec 2020

Altered smell and taste impacts psychological wellbeing of COVID-19 survivors, study finds

A recent study discloses that loss of taste and smell sensation after infection with SARS-CoV-2 negatively impacts the quality of life and psychological wellbeing of those that recover but experience persistence of this symptom.

1 Dec 2020

Google searches for COVID-19 symptoms can anticipate case numbers

Google searches may come to the aid in predicting the evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic, which we need to identify, manage, and, if possible, contain new outbreaks.

16 Nov 2020

Brain's taste map operates differently than previously believed

What happens in our brain that makes us experience the sweet taste of a donut or the bitter taste of tonic water? What are the patterns of neural activity responsible for the perception of taste? A new study from Stony Brook University found that the map of neural responses mediating taste perception does not involve, as previously believed, specialized groups of neurons in the brain, but rather overlapping and spatially distributed populations.

12 Nov 2020

Study shows how perceptions of beauty drive people’s appetite and spending decisions

As the holiday season nears, thoughts of pumpkin pies, roasted chestnuts and turkey dinners fill our dreams and our grocery shopping lists.

11 Nov 2020

Loss of taste in COVID-19 is highly variable by geographic region

Even as the COVID-19 pandemic spreads in different parts of the world, scientists are still attempting to define the characteristic signs and symptoms that are useful in diagnosing the disease. This is essential knowledge to help contain severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) transmission. Especially when it comes to diagnosing symptomatic or mild cases of COVID-19, such research could hold the key to identifying more people and preventing viral spread.

15 Sep 2020

Loss of smell should be listed as early symptom of COVID-19

Though the two common symptoms are cough and fever, recent studies and reports point to a loss of smell as a symptom early in the disease process. A team of researchers at the Technical University Dresden (TU Dresden) revealed that the sudden loss of smell is experienced by many patients infected with the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).

4 May 2020

Olfactory impairment linked with milder clinical course in COVID-19

Following an earlier study that validated the loss of smell and taste as indicators of SARS-CoV-2 infection, researchers at UC San Diego Health report in newly published findings that olfactory impairment suggests the resulting COVID-19 disease is more likely to be mild to moderate, a potential early indicator that could help health care providers determine which patients may require hospitalization.

27 Apr 2020

Coffee makes you more sensitive to sweetness, study shows

Sweet food is even sweeter when you drink coffee. This is shown by the result of research from Aarhus University. The results have just been published in the scientific journal Foods.

21 Apr 2020

Taste neurons could be controlling feeding behaviour find researchers

Researchers from the University of California, Riverside used a common fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster) to find the association between taste neurons and control of feeding behaviours. They noted that if they genetically modulated these flies, they could make them selectively avoid certain chemicals including acids, bitter compounds, salty substances etc. The results of their study appeared in the October issue of the journal Cell Reports.

22 Oct 2019

Posture impacts taste perception, finds study

Summertime is often filled with outdoor parties and food trucks, meaning you're spending more time standing up and eating. But if you want to actually enjoy your meal, researchers say you're better off finding a seat.

8 Jun 2019

New research finds alterations in brain connectivity in OCD patients

Obsessive-compulsive disorder is characterized by alterations in brain connectivity, i.e., patients present a dysfunction related to the synchronization of activity between different groups of neurons, as evidenced by recent research.

28 Feb 2019

Study provides insight into how the brain rapidly identifies sweet and bitter flavors

Sweet and bitter flavors are identified as soon as they are tasted, according to human neural and behavioral data published in eNeuro. The study provides new insight into how the brain rapidly detects and discriminates between potentially nutritious and toxic substances.

17 Oct 2018

Ability to detect RNA helps promote rapid growth, survival of fruit fly larvae

Fruit fly larvae can taste ribonucleosides, the building blocks of gene transcripts, according to a new study publishing on August 7 in the open access journal PLOS Biology by Hubert Amrein and Dushyant Mishra of Texas A&M Health Science Center and their colleagues.

10 Aug 2018

Diminished taste sensitivity could put people on path to gaining weight

Cornell University food scientists have found that people with a diminished ability to taste food choose sweeter- and likely higher-calorie - fare. This could put people on the path to gaining weight.

28 Jul 2017

Fighting malaria by altering human flavor

A new study by Johns Hopkins researchers suggests that a specialized area of the mosquito brain mixes tastes with smells to create unique and preferred flavors. The findings advance the possibility, they say, of identifying a substance that makes “human flavor” repulsive to the malaria-bearing species of the mosquitoes, so instead of feasting on us, they keep the disease to themselves, potentially saving an estimated 450,000 lives a year worldwide.

11 Oct 2016