Brain's Frontal Lobes Electrical Activity Impacted by COVID-19

COVID-19 and its impact on the brain have been a hot topic of discussion among researchers. According to a comprehensive review of 84 studies involving 617 patients, neurological symptoms associated with severe COVID-19, such as headaches, confusion, and seizures, may indeed have roots in the brain.

Researchers from Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, and the University of Pittsburgh, PA, looked closely at electroencephalography (EEG) test results to investigate COVID-19's effect on the brain.

Unsurprisingly, a third of the identified abnormalities were in the frontal lobes of the brain, given the virus's most likely entry point through the nose. Dr. Zulfi Haneef, assistant professor of neurology and neurophysiology at Baylor, notes the significance of these findings, suggesting that EEG and other imaging techniques should be employed more extensively to better understand the frontal lobe's role in the disease's progression.

However, it's essential to consider that the virus may not be directly responsible for all the brain's damage. Systemic effects of the infection such as inflammation, low oxygen levels, excessively "sticky" blood, and cardiac arrest could contribute to EEG abnormalities beyond the frontal lobes.

Long COVID, a term used for ongoing health problems experienced after recovery from the virus, often includes "brain fog." According to a recent study, individuals who claim to have had COVID-19 performed less well on an online cognitive test than those who did not believe they had contracted the virus. This raises concerns about long-term effects on the brain, as the study on EEG abnormalities associated with COVID-19 supports these concerns.

Despite the limitations of the analysis, such as lack of access to raw data from individual studies, possible skewed research results due to disproportionate EEG testing on patients with neurological symptoms, and the use of anti-seizure medications, the study offers valuable insights into COVID-19's potential impact on the brain and long-term neurological effects.

The coronavirus, with its impact on the brain, has been a subject of intense scientific investigation.
The review of 84 studies involving 617 patients revealed that neurological symptoms linked to severe COVID-19, such as seizures and epilepsy seizures, could have origins in the brain.
In the study conducted by researchers from Baylor College of Medicine and the University of Pittsburgh, it was found that a third of the identified brain abnormalities were in the frontal lobes, likely due to the virus's entry point through the nose.
Aside from the direct impact of the virus, systemic effects such as inflammation, low oxygen levels, and cardiac arrest could also contribute to other EEG abnormalities associated with medical conditions like mental health, health and wellness, and neurological disorders, beyond just the frontal lobes.