About this trial
Persistent smell loss that can include diminished or distorted smell function is a common symptom of long COVID syndrome. There are limited treatment options for long COVID-related smell loss. This study aims to determine the efficacy of two at-home treatments, smell training and non-invasive trigeminal nerve stimulation. This study requires participants to conduct daily at-home treatment sessions, attend three in-person study visits at the MUSC Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, and complete electronic questionnaires over the 12-week trial, and again at the six-month timepoint. Participants in this trial may benefit directly with an improvement in sense of smell. However, participation may also help society more generally, as this study will provide new information about long COVID-related smell loss and its treatment.
Eligibility criteria
Qualifiers
treatment-seeking for COVID-related persistent SL (anosmia, hyposmia, phantosmia or parosmia)
at least 1-month from SARS-coV-2 PCR-positive and/or rapid home-positive tests
normal sense of smell prior to COVID
naïve to both smell training (ST) and trigeminal nerve stimulation (TNS)
Disqualifiers
history of head injury (e.g. sport, accident, combat blast)
sinonasal condition (e.g. upper respiratory infection, rhinosinusitis, polyps)
neurological disorder (e.g. epilepsy, neurodegenerative disorder, narcolepsy)
serious mental illness (e.g. schizophrenia, bipolar, or other psychotic disorder)
Trial design
Treatments tested in this trial
- Trigeminal Nerve Stimulation (TNS)
- Active Smell Training (ST)
- Placebo Smell Training (PBO)
Treatment groups
Sponsors and collaborators
Medical University of South Carolina
Lead sponsor
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Collaborator
National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)
Collaborator