OT has been proposed as a potential treatment for persistent olfactory loss among emerging therapies. It is the most suggested treatment to improve olfactory function via sensorineural modulation from repeated odor exposure. However, many patients discontinue the treatment or do not appropriately follow the treatment regimen due to the long treatment period required. This is the reason behind biasing estimates of treatment success. Moreover, spontaneous improvement is known to occur without any interventions.
The researchers evaluated both adherence rates and OT efficacy. The sample consisted of patients with persistent postinfectious, post-traumatic, or idiopathic olfactory loss.
The present study was a prospective observational study. Researchers assessed Twenty-five patients with persistent olfactory loss underwent OT. Protocol adherence and olfactory function 3 and 6 months after treatment initiation. A minimum improvement of 5 UPSIT points was considered clinically significant, and compliance throughout the study.
The study concluded that adherence to training in this patient population remained high in the first three months of OT but declined moderately after that. The observed prevalence and degree of improvement were similar to that reported in several studies, including some studies whose patients did not receive OT.
Reference: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1945892419887895
