Camera-based visual feedback learning aid for recovering sense of smell and taste in COVID-19 survivors: a proof-of-concept study

Veena Kumari; Satyam Chauhan; Krupa Vakani; Elena Antonova; Jacky Bryant

doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1213254

Camera-based visual feedback learning aid for recovering sense of smell and taste in COVID-19 survivors: a proof-of-concept study

Front Psychol. 2023 Jul 12:14:1213254. doi: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1213254. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Veena Kumari^{1

2}, Satyam Chauhan^{1

2}, Krupa Vakani^{1

2}, Elena Antonova^{1

2}, Jacky Bryant³

Affiliations

¹ Division of Psychology, Department of Life Sciences, College of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Brunel University London, London, United Kingdom.
² Centre for Cognitive and Clinical Neuroscience, College of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Brunel University London, London, United Kingdom.
³ Learning JBE Ltd, London, United Kingdom.

Abstract

Introduction: A significant proportion of people report persistent COVID-19-related anosmia, hyposmia or parosmia, often accompanied with ageusia, hypogeusia or dysgeusia. Here, we present a proof-of-concept study that assessed the feasibility and acceptability of a new Camera-Based Visual Feedback Learning Aid (CVFLA) and explored its potential to restore or improve persistent COVID-19-related smell and/or taste impairment.

Methods: Fifteen adult participants with persistent smell and/or taste impairment were randomly allocated to 7-, 14-, or 21-days baseline of symptom monitoring before receiving the intervention in up to 10 sessions (length and frequency determined by participant's preference and progress) using a specialised CVFLA apparatus (patent no. 10186160). Smell and taste were assessed pre- and post-intervention subjectively, and also objectively using the ODOFIN Taste Strips and Sniffin Sticks. Participant feedback about their experience of receiving CVFLA was obtained via a semi-structured interview conducted by someone not involved in delivering the intervention.

Results: The intervention was extremely well received, with no dropouts related to the intervention. There was also a significant improvement in smell and taste from pre- to post-CVFLA intervention (mean number of sessions = 7.46, SD = 2.55; total duration = 389.96 min, SD = 150.93) both in subjective and objective measures. All participants, except one, reported experiencing some improvement from the 2nd or 3rd session.

Discussion: This new CVFLA intervention shows promise in improving COVID-19 related impairment in smell and taste with a very high level of acceptability. Further studies with larger samples are required to confirm its potential in restoring, improving or correcting smell and/or taste impairment in relevant clinical and non-clinical groups.

Keywords: COVID-19; impairment; intervention; learning; smell; taste; visual feedback.