Acupuncture Therapy for COVID-Related Olfactory Loss

Mayo Clinic30 enrolled

Overview

This study is looking at the role of acupuncture as a treatment for olfactory dysfunction in patients who tested positive for COVID-19.

Study Type

INTERVENTIONAL

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

NONE

Enrollment

Conditions

Olfactory Dysfunction COVID-19

Interventions

Acupuncture TherapyDEVICE

Consists of two treatments per week for five weeks

BudesonideDRUG

Twice daily nasal rinses with steroid medication (budesonide)

Olfactory TrainingOTHER

involves smelling 4 different essential oils (e.g. rose, lemon, clove, and eucalyptus) twice a day for 20 seconds each (after the nasal rinse)

Eligibility

Sex: ALLMin age: 18 Years

Medical Language ↔ Plain English

Inclusion Criteria: * 18 years or older. * Patients with post-viral olfactory dysfunction \> 4 weeks. * History of positive COVID-19 PCR. Exclusion Criteria: * Less than 18 years of age. * Active sinus infection. * New diagnosis of untreated CRS. * Prior diagnosis of dementia or Parkinson's disease. * Prior head trauma or neurosurgical procedure resulting in olfactory loss. * Patients who do not speak or read English. * Patients unable to understand and sign the study consent.

Locations (1)

Mayo Clinic in Rochester

Rochester, Minnesota, United States

Outcomes

Primary Outcomes

Change in University of Pennsylvania Smell Identification Test (UPSIT) Scores

The 40-item UPSIT is a measurement of the ability to detect odors where microencapsulated odorants on a strip are released by scratching. Each item is scored from 0 (did not correctly detect the odor) to 1 (correctly detected the odor). Total scores range from 0-40 with higher scores indicating better smell and lower scores indicating worse smell.

Time frame: Baseline, post-treatment approximately 12 weeks

Secondary Outcomes

Change in Patient-reported Subjective Olfactory Loss

Patient-reported subjective olfactory loss measured by a 10-point visual analog scale with 10 representing no sense of smell and 1 representing normal smell.

Time frame: Baseline, post-treatment approximately 12 weeks

Change in Sino-Nasal Outcome Test (SNOT-22)

Patient-reported subjective olfactory loss measured by SNOT-22 questionnaire, rating symptoms experiences from 0 = no problem, 5 = problem as bad as it can be, with a total score ranging of 0-110, lower scores indicate no problem and higher scores indicate more problem.

Time frame: Baseline, post-treatment approximately 12 weeks

Data from ClinicalTrials.gov

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