Brain's frontal lobes can experience electrical disturbances due to COVID-19 infection.
Let's Dive into the Mind-Boggling Impacts of COVID-19 on the Brain
Holy smokes! Studies indicate that a whopping 15-25% of individuals with severe COVID-19 could experience neurological symptoms, including headaches, muddled thinking, seizures, and strokes. Yikes!
To investigate this nasty virus's impact on the brain, scientists analyzed EEG results from 617 patients across 84 studies. The majority of patients were older males, and the most common findings? Slowed brain waves and weird electrical discharges. But it gets worse – these abnormalities seemed to intensify with the severity of the disease and the presence of pre-existing neurological conditions, like epilepsy.
So, what gives? Researchers believe the virus might not be solely responsible for this mess; systemic effects due to infection like inflammation, low oxygen levels, and sticky blood could also play a role in caused EEG abnormalities.
But it seems we're not just talking about issues at the front of the brain. Researchers noticed "diffuse slowing" across the whole brain in almost 70% of patients. Yikes again!
With an estimated 30% of abnormal findings in the frontal lobes – which are right next to the likely entry point for the virus – it's time for doctors to get cracking on more EEGs and other brain imaging. After all, they say knowing is half the battle!
Speaking of battles, some folks who've recovered from COVID-19 are reporting ongoing health problems, including "brain fog." A recent study suggests this might age people cognitively by around ten years! Experts are sounding the alarm, but they warn that this study doesn't prove that COVID-19 causes long-term cognitive decline. Still, it raises concerns, especially since EEG abnormalities have been linked to the neurological symptoms of COVID-19.
The good news? More than half of those who had follow-up EEG tests showed improvements. On the flip side, the analysis had its fair share of limitations – like a lack of access to raw data, omitted normal EEGs, and the potential obscuring of seizure signs by anti-seizure meds.
So, what's the deal with the brain and COVID-19? Let's keep digging and trying to crack this open. Stay tuned for more updates!
Sources:- COVID-19 and the Brain by Medical News Today- Severe COVID-19 and Neurological Manifestations: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis- SARS-CoV-2 Neurotropism: What We Have Learned During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic- Brain structure and function in post-acute sequelae of COVID-19- Results of the Prospective ROSE-COVID Study: Incidence and Predictors of Neurologic Findings in SARS-CoV-2 Infection
- The coronavirus, responsible for COVID-19, may cause neurological symptoms such as seizures, strokes, and headaches in 15-25% of individuals with severe cases.
- Scientists have conducted electroencephalography (EEG) tests on patients with COVID-19 to investigate its impact on the brain, uncovering slowed brain waves and abnormal electrical discharges.
- Pre-existing neurological conditions, including epilepsy, seem to intensify these EEG abnormalities in patients with COVID-19.
- While the virus may partially contribute to these EEG abnormalities, systemic effects like inflammation, low oxygen levels, and sticky blood could also play a role.
- COVID-19 could potentially lead to lasting health issues, such as "brain fog," and may hasten cognitive decline by approximately ten years, according to recent studies.
- The ongoing health-and-wellness debate includes concerns about the long-term effects of COVID-19 on mental health and neurological disorders, with neuro-imaging studies offering valuable insights into this area.
