Abstract：
The prevalence of posttraumatic olfactory dysfunction in children after mild traumatic brain injury ranges from 3 to 58%, with potential factors influencing this variation, including traumatic brain injury severity and assessment methods. This prospective longitudinal study examines the association between mild traumatic brain injury and olfactory dysfunction in children. Seventy-five pediatric patients with mild traumatic brain injury and an age-matched healthy control group were enrolled. Olfactory function was assessed using the Sniffin\' Sticks battery, which focuses on olfactory threshold and odor identification. The study found that children with mild traumatic brain injury had impaired olfactory function compared with healthy controls, particularly in olfactory threshold scores. The prevalence of olfactory dysfunction in the patient group was 33% and persisted for 1 yr. No significant association was found between traumatic brain injury symptoms (e.g. amnesia, loss of consciousness) and olfactory dysfunction. The study highlights the importance of assessing olfactory function in children after mild traumatic brain injury, given its potential impact on daily life. Although most olfactory dysfunction appears transient, long-term follow-up is essential to fully understand the recovery process. The findings add valuable insights to the limited literature on this topic and urge the inclusion of olfactory assessments in the management of pediatric mild traumatic brain injury.
摘要：
儿童轻度颅脑外伤后的创伤后嗅觉功能障碍的患病率为3％至58％，影响这种变化的潜在因素，包括创伤性脑损伤的严重程度和评估方法。这项前瞻性纵向研究检查了儿童轻度创伤性脑损伤与嗅觉功能障碍之间的关系。纳入75例轻度颅脑损伤患儿和年龄匹配的健康对照组。使用Sniffin\'Sticks电池评估嗅觉功能，重点是嗅觉阈值和气味识别。研究发现，与健康对照组相比，轻度创伤性脑损伤儿童的嗅觉功能受损，特别是嗅觉阈值得分。患者组嗅觉功能障碍的患病率为33％，并持续1年。没有发现创伤性脑损伤症状之间的显著关联(例如健忘症，意识丧失)和嗅觉功能障碍。该研究强调了评估轻度创伤性脑损伤后儿童嗅觉功能的重要性，考虑到它对日常生活的潜在影响。虽然大多数嗅觉功能障碍似乎是短暂的，长期随访对于充分了解康复过程至关重要。这些发现为有关该主题的有限文献提供了宝贵的见解，并敦促将嗅觉评估纳入小儿轻度创伤性脑损伤的管理中。
