# Neurocognitive & neuropsychiatric impact of chemosensory alterations: Implications of olfactory dysfunction in COVID-19

> **NIH NIH K23** · COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES · 2022 · $178,610

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Smell loss is a common neurosensory disability accompanying infection with SARS-CoV-2 novel coronavirus.
The frequency and persistence of alteration in the ability to smell, or olfactory dysfunction (OD), observed
during the COVID-19 pandemic highlight a knowledge gap, where risk factors predicting post-viral OD and
subsequent neurological dysfunction remain poorly understood. This K23 proposal will characterize
epidemiological risk factors associated with OD following COVID-19 infections, which in turn may signify risk
for neurocognitive and neuropsychological impairment in daily functioning and quality of life. As a career
development award, this proposal will provide Dr. Jonathan Overdevest, MD, PhD, an Assistant Professor in
the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at Columbia University Irving Medical Center
(CUIMC) with structured training to establish an independent career in the study of olfactory dysfunction and
neurocognition. Under the guidance of his primary mentor, D.P. Devanand, and an experienced team of
experts, Dr. Overdevest will develop domain expertise in the design and analysis of chemosensory-focused
neuroepidemiologic studies using patient-oriented research (POR) methodology. Building upon preliminary
data evaluating prevalence and persistence of OD in a vulnerable minority population served by CUIMC, Dr.
Overdevest will develop the framework for a longitudinal cohort study within this multi-ethnic population. The
research in Aim 1 will investigate epidemiologic risk factors for primary and persistent OD following COVID-19
infection by evaluating OD with subjective functional domain and test-based objective tools. In Aim 2, he will
study the relationship between persistent OD and neurological, neurocognitive, and neuropsychiatric
functioning using validated measures from the multilingual NIH Toolbox assessment battery. He will then
extend this preliminary work into the realm of neuroimaging by leveraging existing local research infrastructure
and the expertise of his mentorship team to develop pilot data correlating features of OD and neurologic
outcomes with anatomic and inflammatory changes in the brain. These studies will inform strategies for
counseling the public about demographic risk factors for experiencing COVID-19 related OD, associate risks
for additional neurological disabilities, and provide the foundation for future investigation into imaging
modalities to evaluate the central processing of olfaction and monitor outcomes of clinical trials for OD
interventions.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10415005
- **Project number:** 5K23DC019678-02
- **Recipient organization:** COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES
- **Principal Investigator:** Jonathan B Overdevest
- **Activity code:** K23 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $178,610
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2021-06-01 → 2026-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10415005

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10415005, Neurocognitive & neuropsychiatric impact of chemosensory alterations: Implications of olfactory dysfunction in COVID-19 (5K23DC019678-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10415005. Licensed CC0.

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