title: Abnormalities of taste and smell after head trauma.
abstract: Abnormalities of taste and smell were studied in 29 patients after head trauma. These abnormalities included decreased taste acuity (hypogeusia), a distortion of taste acuity (dysgeusia), decreased smell acuity (hyposmia), and a distortion of smell acuity (dysosmia). This syndrome can occur even after minimal head trauma and can begin months after the moment of injury. The patients exhibited a significant decrease in total serum zinc concentration (patients, 77 ± 3 μg/100 ml, mean ± 1 SEM, vs controls, 99 ± 2 μg/100 ml, P>0·001) and a significant increase in total serum copper concentrations (113 ± 4 μg/100 ml vs 100 ± 2 μg/100 ml, P<0·001) compared with control subjects. Symptoms of hypogeusia, dysgeusia, and dysosmia are frequent sequelae of head injury and are important to the patients and to their care after trauma.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003300:Copper / Q000378:metabolism; D006259:Craniocerebral Trauma / Q000150:complications* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006407:Hematoma, Epidural, Cranial / Q000150:complications; D006408:Hematoma, Subdural / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009777:Occipital Bone / Q000293:injuries; D000857:Olfaction Disorders / Q000209:etiology* / Q000378:metabolism; D010294:Parietal Bone / Q000293:injuries; D012887:Skull Fractures / Q000150:complications; D013651:Taste Disorders / Q000209:etiology* / Q000378:metabolism; D013701:Temporal Bone / Q000293:injuries; D013997:Time Factors; D015032:Zinc / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D003300:Copper; D015032:Zinc