Magnitude and determinants of neural tube defect in Africa: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract Background Neural tube defects (NTDs) are a group of disorders that arise from the failure of the neural tube close between 21 and 28 days after conception. About 90% of neural tube defects and 95% of death due to these defects occurs in low-income countries. Since these NTDs cause considerable morbidity and mortality, this study aimed to determine the prevalence and associated factors of NTDs in Africa. Methods The protocol of this study was registered in the International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (PROSPERO number: CRD42020149356). All major databases such as PubMed/MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, Web of Science, African Journals Online (AJOL), and Google Scholar search engine were systematically searched. A random-effect model was used to estimate the pooled prevalence of NTDs in Africa, and Cochran’s Q-statistics and I2 tests were used to assess heterogeneity between included studies. Publication bias was assessed using Begg ’s tests, and the association between determinant factors and NTDs was estimated using a random-effect model. Results Of the total 2679 articles, 37 articles fulfilled the inclusion criteria and were included in this systematic review and meta-analysis. The pooled prevalence of NTDs in Africa was 50.71 per 10,000 births (95% CI: 48.03, 53.44). Folic acid supplementation (AOR: 0.40; 95% CI: 0.19–0.85), maternal exposure to pesticide (AOR: 3.29; 95% CI: 1.04–10.39), mothers with a previous history of stillbirth (AOR: 3.35, 95% CI: 1.99–5.65) and maternal exposure to x-ray radiation (AOR 2.34; 95% CI: 1.27–4.31) were found to be determinants of NTDs. Conclusions The pooled prevalence of NTDs in Africa was found to be high. Maternal exposure to pesticides and x-ray radiation were significantly associated with NTDs. Folic acid supplementation before and within the first month of pregnancy was found to be a protective factor for NTDs.

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Gastrointestinal Manifestations and Dynamics of Liver Enzymes in Children and Adolescents with COVID-19 Infection: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Iranian Journal of Pediatrics ◽

10.5812/ijp.106935 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 30 (5) ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Naghi Dara ◽

Amirhossein Hosseini ◽

Ali Akbar Sayyari ◽

Mihnea-Alexandru Gaman ◽

Somaye Fatahi

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Children And Adolescents ◽

Liver Enzymes ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Random Effect ◽

Random Effect Model ◽

Gastrointestinal Symptoms ◽

Comprehensive Overview ◽

Effect Model ◽

Pooled Prevalence

Objectives: To improve the knowledge on Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) infection, we aimed to study the prevalence of gastrointestinal symptoms and the dynamics of liver enzymes in children infected with COVID-19. Methods: We performed a systematic search of all the articles published up to May 2020 in the following databases: PubMed-MEDLINE, Scopus, and Cochrane. We chose the fixed- or random-effect model for analysis based on the I2 statistic. The included data were analyzed to identify the prevalence of gastrointestinal symptoms (diarrhea, vomiting or nausea) and to identify the dynamics of liver enzymes in children and adolescents diagnosed with COVID-19. Results: We detected an overall prevalence of all gastrointestinal symptoms of 26% (95% CI: 0.18 - 0.35). The pooled prevalence of diarrhea and nausea/vomiting was 12% (95% CI: 0.08 - 0.16) with no heterogeneity (P = 0.19; I2 = 23.53%) and 11% (95% CI: 0.05 - 0.17), respectively. The pooled prevalence of elevated ALT and AST and LDH was 12% (95% CI: 0.07 - 0.17), 14% (95% CI: 0.10 - 0.18) and 33% (95% CI: 0.12 - 0.54), respectively among the included studies. Conclusions: According to our systematic review and meta-analysis, 26% of the children and adolescents diagnosed with COVID-19 present gastrointestinal symptoms. This paper has provided a comprehensive overview of the prevalence of digestive symptoms of COVID-19 and of the liver enzymes dynamics in children and adolescents.

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Alteration of Postural Balance in Patients with Fibromyalgia Syndrome—A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

Diagnostics ◽

10.3390/diagnostics11010127 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (1) ◽

pp. 127

Author(s):

David Núñez-Fuentes ◽

Esteban Obrero-Gaitán ◽

Noelia Zagalaz-Anula ◽

Alfonso Javier Ibáñez-Vera ◽

Alexander Achalandabaso-Ochoa ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Postural Balance ◽

Fibromyalgia Syndrome ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Random Effect ◽

Random Effect Model ◽

Healthy Controls ◽

Functional Balance ◽

Sensory Organization ◽

Effect Model

Balance problems are one of the most frequent symptoms in patients with Fibromyalgia Syndrome (FMS). However, the extent and nature of this balance disorder are not known. The objective of this work was to determine the best evidence for the alteration of postural balance in patients with FMS and analyze differences with healthy controls. To meet this objective, a systematic review with meta-analysis was performed. A bibliographical search was carried out in PubMed Medline, Scopus, Web of Science, CINAHL and SciELO. Observational studies that assessed postural balance in patients with FMS compared to healthy subjects in baseline conditions, were selected. In a random-effect model, the pooled effect was calculated with the Standardized Mean Difference (SMD) and its 95% confidence interval (CI). Nineteen studies reporting data of 2347 participants (95% female) were included. FMS patients showed poor balance with a large effect on static (SMD = 1.578; 95% CI = 1.164, 1.992), dynamic (SMD = 0.946; 95% CI = 0.598, 1.294), functional balance (SMD = 1.138; 95% CI = 0.689, 1.588) and on balance confidence (SMD = 1.194; 95% CI = 0.914, 1.473). Analysis of the Sensory Organization Test showed large alteration of vestibular (SMD = 1.631; 95% CI = 0.467, 2.795) and visual scores (SMD = 1.317; 95% CI = 0.153, 2.481) compared to healthy controls. Patients with FMS showed worse scores for different measures of postural balance compared to healthy controls. Concretely, FMS patients appear to have poor vestibular and visual scores with a possible somatosensory dependence.

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Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Pirfenidone, Nintedanib, and Pamrevlumab for the Treatment of Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis

Annals of Pharmacotherapy ◽

10.1177/1060028020964451 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 106002802096445

Author(s):

Enrica Di Martino ◽

Alessio Provenzani ◽

Patrizio Vitulo ◽

Piera Polidori

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis ◽

Pulmonary Fibrosis ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Random Effect ◽

Random Effect Model ◽

World Health ◽

Effect Model ◽

All Cause Mortality ◽

Positive Effect

Background: The comparative efficacy of pirfenidone, nintedanib, and pamrevlumab in slowing the rate of forced vital capacity (FVC) decline and mortality in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) is unknown. Objective: To perform a systematic review and meta-analysis (MA) of these drugs for IPF. Methods: We searched CENTRAL, PubMed, EMBASE, ClincalTrials.gov, and the World Health Organization’s registry databases up to March 2020. Phase II/III randomized controlled trials in adults with IPF were eligible. The random-effect model was implemented calculating the effect size and respective 95% CI as Cohen’s d for change from baseline FVC (in percentage predicted and liters) and odds ratio (OR) for 10% reduction in FVC and all-cause mortality (ACM). Results: Six studies were included in the MA. For change from baseline in percentage predicted FVC, the MA indicated that the 3 drugs were more effective than placebo (pirfenidone: d=3.30%, 95% CI=2.15-4.45; nintedanib: d=3.15%, 95% CI=2.35-3.95; pamrevlumab: d=4.30%, 95% CI=0.45-8.15). These results are superimposable to those relating to change from baseline FVC in liters (pirfenidone: d=0.09L, 95% CI=0.04-0.14; nintedanib: d=0.13L, 95% CI=0.10-0.16; pamrevlumab: d=0.20L, 95% CI=0.05-0.35). Each drug had a positive effect on 10% reduction in FVC (pirfenidone: OR=0.57, 95% CI=0.45-0.74; nintedanib: OR=0.66, 95% CI=0.51-0.85; pamrevlumab: OR=0.24, 95% CI=0.08-0.73), but only pirfenidone showed an effect on ACM (OR=0.50; 95% CI=0.31-0.83). Conclusion and Relevance: This MA provided encouraging results on pamrevlumab efficacy in slowing the decline in FVC compared with pirfenidone and nintedanib. Actually, in phase 3, it could become a potential IPF treatment.

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Prevalence and determinants of undernutrition among school children of Ethiopia: a systematic review and meta-analysis

10.21203/rs.2.13434/v1 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Tamirat Hailegebreil

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Family Size ◽

School Children ◽

Family Income ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Random Effect ◽

Random Effect Model ◽

Large Family ◽

Pooled Prevalence ◽

Male Sex

Abstract Background: Ethiopia is the second populous countries in Africa where millions of children are affected by malnutrition. Several original works are available online about child malnutrition in Ethiopia. The aim of this study was to summarize the existing epidemiological data on undernutrition and possible determinants among school children in Ethiopia. Methods: We conducted a systematic review using open access articles which report prevalence of stunting and wasting/thinness from PubMed Central, Scopus and Science direct. From 358 articles accessed online, 39 of them were eligible for this meta-analysis. The heterogeneities among studies were evaluated using I2 test and the pooled prevalence was calculated using a random effect model. Results: A total of 24, 716 school children were included in 39 eligible articles for this meta-analysis. The pooled prevalence of stunting and wasting/thinness among school children in Ethiopia were 23.1% (95% CI: 19.0 - 27.0%) and 22% (95% CI: 17% - 26%), respectively. The risk of stunting was increased among the student with meal frequency ≤ 3 times a day (OR= 3.02, 95% CI: 1.90 - 4.14), age > 10 years (OR= 2.16, 95% CI: 1.47 - 2.85) and family size ≥ 5 (OR= 1.88, 95% CI: 1.40 - 2.35). Similarly, the risk of wasting/thinness was increased with male sex (OR= 2.06, 95% CI: 1.54 - 2.58), low family income (OR= 2.16, 95% CI: 1.30 - 3.01) and age > 10 years (OR= 1.78, 95% CI: 0.74 - 2.82). High heterogeneity about the prevalence of stunting and wasting/thinness was observed among studies included in this meta-analysis (I2 > 98.6). Conclusions: This study showed that stunting and wasting/thinness are common nutritional problems in school children in Ethiopia. Large family size, male sex and age above 10 years were consistently associated with stunting and wasting/thinness in children. The finding of this study highlights the importance of new strategies to reduce undernutrition in Ethiopia. Keywords: stunting, wasting, thinness, undernutrition, systematic review, meta-analysis

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The Prevalence of Metabolic Syndrome in Ethiopian Population: A Protocol for Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

10.21203/rs.3.rs-67729/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Sintayehu Ambachew ◽

Aklilu Endalamaw ◽

Belete Biadgo ◽

Abebaw Worede ◽

Mulugeta Melku

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Metabolic Syndrome ◽

English Language ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Random Effect ◽

Random Effect Model ◽

Group Analysis ◽

Published Data ◽

The Metabolic Syndrome ◽

Pooled Prevalence

Abstract Background: The metabolic syndrome is a clustering of hyperglycemia/insulin resistance, hypertension, dyslipidemia and obesity which are risk factors for cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke and all-cause mortality. The burden of metabolic syndrome is emerging alarmingly in low-and middle income countries like Ethiopia. This is the protocol to determine the pooled prevalence of metabolic syndrome in Ethiopian population.Methods: This systematic review and meta-analysis will include original articles of observational studies published in the English language. Searches will be carried out in PubMed, Google Scholar, and Africa Journals up to April 2019. A Fixed/Random-effect model will be used to estimate the pooled prevalence of metabolic syndrome in Ethiopia. Heterogeneity will be assessed using I² statistic. Sub-group analysis will also be conducted based on sex, study subjects, and methodological differences. Funnel plots and egger’s and Begg’s test will be used to asses publication bias.Ethics and dissemination: The review is based on published data; therefore, ethical approval is not required. The systematic review and meta-analysis will summarize the existing data on the prevalence of metabolic syndrome in Ethiopian population. This provides the empirical evidence necessary for researchers, policy-makers, and public health stakeholders to derive health-promoting policies, allocate resources, and set priorities for monitoring future trends. The final result will be presented at annual scientific meetings, conferences, and seminars. Moreover, it will also be published in the peer-reviewed reputable journal. We also plan to review every 5 years to provide updated information.Protocol registration number: PROSPERO International Prospective Register of Systematic Reviews (CRD42018090944)

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Semen parameters in men recovered from COVID-19: a systematic review and meta-analysis

10.21203/rs.3.rs-912054/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Sagar Tiwari ◽

Niranjan KC ◽

Sajan Thapa ◽

Anuja Ghimire ◽

Sanjeev M Bijukchhe ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Sex Hormones ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Random Effect ◽

Random Effect Model ◽

Sperm Concentration ◽

Semen Parameters ◽

Sexual Hormones ◽

Effect Model ◽

Semen Volume

Abstract Background: The novel beta-coronavirus disease (COVID-19) has infected millions of people globally with high risk among male then female. However, the effect of COVID-19 andrology is still a subject of dispute. We planned to analyze the overall consequences of COVID-19 on semen parameters and male sex hormones.Main text: Systematic search was performed on MEDLINE and Scopus database until June 11 2021. We included observational studies, which reported mean ± standard deviation of the semen parameters and serum sex hormones of those reproductive-aged male recovered from COVID-19 and controls who did not suffered from COVID-19. We used Random-effect model to pool the studies, as heterogeneity was present. Heterogeneity was evaluated by Q test and I2. All studies were assessed with their quality and publication bias.We assessed 966 articles for eligibility and found 7 eligible studies meeting PICO criteria. This include 934 participants with mean age 37.34 ± 10.5. Random-effect model meta-analysis showed that men recovered form COVID-19 had semen parameters less than those who had not suffered from COVID-19. The overall mean difference (MD) [95% confidence interval (CI)] in semen volume, sperm concentration, sperm number, and progressive sperm motility was -0.20 (-0.45, 0.05), -16.59 (-34.82, 1.65), -45.44 (-84.56, -6.31), -1.73(-8.20, 4.75) respectively. Considering sex hormones; Luteinizing hormone and prolactin was found more among those recovered with the significant MD (95% CI) of 3.47 (1.59, 5.35) and 3.21 (1.71, 4.72) respectively.Conclusion: Both the semen parameters and sexual hormones were found to be affected after infected with COVID-19. However, the mechanism for testicular involvement remains doubtful.This systematic review and meta-analysis has been registered in PROSPERO (ID: CRD42021259445)

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Burden of cervical lesion in Ethiopia: Systematic review and meta-analysis

10.21203/rs.2.17150/v1 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Ayele Semachew ◽

Tadesse Dagget ◽

Yeshiwork Beyene ◽

Getnet Dessie ◽

Aklilu Endalamaw ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Cervical Cancer ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Random Effect ◽

Random Effect Model ◽

Cervical Lesion ◽

Online Databases ◽

Pooled Prevalence ◽

Meta Regression Analysis ◽

Study Participants

Abstract Though cervical cancer is largely preventable, it is still the second most common female cancer globally and the leading cause of cancer deaths among females in African. Though many efforts has been done to study the burden of the disease in Ethiopia, there are still fragmented primary studies reported cervical lesion. Hence, this systematic review and meta-analysis aimed in estimating the pooled prevalence of cervical cancer and its trend in Ethiopia. Methods: This systematic review and meta-analysis was conducted using available data. PubMed, Web of Science, SCOPUS, Science Direct, Google Scholar, African Index Medicus (AIM), African Journals Online databases and Ethiopian University research repositories were searched following the Preferred Items for Systematic review and Meta-analysis (PRISMA) guideline. STATA 15 statistical software was used to analyse the data. The quality of included studies was assessed using the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) quality appraisal tool for meta-analysis. Heterogeneity between studies was assessed using Cochrane Q test and I2 test statistics based on the random effects model. A random effect model was computed to estimate the pooled prevalence of cervical lesion in Ethiopia. In addition, the trend of cervical lesion in the country was depicted. Result: Fifteen studies with a total of 25,348 participants were included in the analysis. The overall pooled prevalence of cervical lesion was 16.36 (95 CI: 10.97-21.75). The subgroup analysis by region showed the highest prevalence of cervical lesion at the Southern Nations and Nationalities Peoples Region (19.65%; 95% CI: 15.51 – 23.80). The trend of cervical lesion showed an increased pattern overtime from 1992 to 2018 in the meta-regression analysis. Conclusion: One among six of the study participants had cervical lesion. The trend also showed that there is still an increased cervical lesion in the country. Best practices in achieving high vaccination coverage shall be adapted from other successful countries. Key words: Cervical cancer, cervical lesion, systematic review, Ethiopia

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Do Corticosteroids Affect Prenatal Biophysical Parameters? A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

International Journal of Women s Health and Reproduction Sciences ◽

10.15296/ijwhr.2020.42 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 8 (3) ◽

pp. 259-264

Author(s):

Sanaz Musavi ◽

Leila Nikniaz ◽

Hosein Hoseinifard ◽

Arezou Hamzehzadeh ◽

Shabnam Vazifekhah

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Heart Rate ◽

Heart Rate Variability ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Random Effect ◽

Random Effect Model ◽

Cochrane Library ◽

Effect Model ◽

Biophysical Profile ◽

Betamethasone And Dexamethasone

This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the effect of betamethasone and dexamethasone on biophysical profile (BPP) parameters. In addition, it was performed in 2017, using several databases such as PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, EMBASE, Cochrane library, ISI Web of science, Proquest, and Google scholar, along with Magiran SID and IranMedex. Eligible studies were selected by two reviewers and the outcomes of interest were extracted as well. Meta-analysis was done using the random effect model. Further, I-square statistic test was used for heterogeneity analysis and the presence of publication bias was also checked. At last, 12 studies were included and a random and fixed effect model was used for analysis. The pooled event rates were 4.5% (95% CI = 0.01-64.3, P=0.1), 76.8% (% 95 CI=33.5-95.6, P=0.21), 71.8% (% 95 CI=38.8-91.1, P=0.18), 70.9% (%95 CI=38.4-90.5, P=0.20), and 92.3% (%95 CI=76.0-97.8, P<0.001) for the reduced amniotic fluid volume, baseline fetal heart rate reactivity, fetal breathing, fetal movement, and heart rate variability, respectively. In summary, a significant decrease was observed in heart rate variability following betamethasone and dexamethasone administration. However, further systematic reviews are necessary to differentiate steroid induced changes in the fetal BPP from those due to fetal compromise

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Association of human papilloma Virus infection other than cervical cancer: Systematic Review and Meta Analysis

SINET Ethiopian Journal of Science ◽

10.4314/sinet.v44i1.11 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 44 (1) ◽

pp. 119-128

Author(s):

Habtamu Molla ◽

Habtamu Temesgen ◽

Dereje Beyene

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Cervical Cancer ◽

Human Papilloma Virus ◽

Publication Bias ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Random Effect ◽

Random Effect Model ◽

Hpv Infection ◽

Papilloma Virus ◽

Pooled Prevalence

Human Papilloma Virus (hpv) infection causes different cancer diseases. Cervical cancer is the most common hpv related disease. hpv infection also causes cancer of anus, vulva, vagina, penis, skin, bladder, prostate, breast, oral and others because the hpv virus is epithelium-tropic. But the association of hpv infection other than cervical cancer, for example breast cancer, bladder cancer, prostate cancer etc is still inconclusive. Thus, the objective of this review was to collect published information on hpv infection other than cervix to explore the pooled prevalence of hpv infection as well as related types of cancers. Publish research articles of hpv infection and cancer risks other than cervical cancer were systematically searched through Internet. The preferred reporting items for systematic review and meta-analysis guidelines were followed. Joanna Brigg’s Institute Meta-Analysis of Statistics Assessment and Review Instrument (jbi-mastari) adapted for cross sectional/case control study design was used for quality assessment of each individual study. A total of 22 studies were extracted and analyzed using stata 14. The random effect model was used to estimate the pooled prevalence; whereas subgroup analysis and meta-regression was performed to identify the probable source of heterogeneity. Both Egger’s and Begg’s tests were used to check publication bias. The totals of 486 studies were retrieved and 22 studies were included in this meta- analysis. The meta-analysis result showed that the pooled prevalence of hpv infection other than cervix was 34.36% (95% CI: 23.75, 44.97) with severe heterogeneity (I2 = 99.5%; p<0.001) with no publication bias. The highest pooled prevalence of hpv infection other than cervix was related to genital cancer which is 58.63% (95% CI: 51.86, 65.39), followed by oral cancer (47.15% with 95% CI: 19.67, 74.63). Although cervical cancer is primarily hpv induced cancer which well articulated with so many researches, other cancer types (based on the location of the hpv infection) are also increasing across the world based on this systematic and meta-analysis study. hpv infection increases the risk of developing cancers other than cervical cancer.

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Regional and chronological differences in prevalences of olfactory and gustatory dysfunction in coronavirus disease (COVID-19): a systemic review and meta-analysis

10.21203/rs.3.rs-58460/v1 ◽

2020 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Jeong-Whun Kim ◽

Seung Cheol Han ◽

Hyung Dong Jo ◽

Sung-Woo Cho ◽

Jin Youp Kim

Keyword(s):

Systematic Review ◽

Meta Analysis ◽

Random Effect ◽

Random Effect Model ◽

Olfactory Dysfunction ◽

Systemic Review ◽

Effect Model ◽

Geographical Regions ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Subgroup Analyses

Abstract Olfactory and gustatory dysfunction are frequently reported in patients with coronavirus disease (COVID-19). However, the reported prevalence of olfactory and/or gustatory dysfunction varies widely, and the reason for the inter-study differences is unclear. Hence, in this meta-analysis, we performed subgroup analyses to investigate the factors that contribute to the inter-study variability in the prevalence of olfactory and gustatory dysfunction. Out of 943 citations, we included 55 eligible studies with 13,527 patients with COVID-19 for a systematic review. The overall pooled prevalences of olfactory and gustatory dysfunction were 51.4% and 47.5%, respectively, in the random-effect model. In subgroup analyses, the prevalences of olfactory and gustatory dysfunction were significantly different among four geographical regions (both P < 0.001, respectively). Although the prevalences of olfactory and gustatory dysfunction did not significantly differ according to the time of enrollment, the subgroup analyses including only studies from the same geographical region (Europe) revealed a significant difference in olfactory dysfunction according to the time of enrollment. The regional and chronological differences in the prevalences of olfactory and gustatory dysfunctions partly explain the wide inter-study variability.

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