Impairments in electrical brain activity within the frontal lobes can potentially occur due to COVID-19 infection.
Approximately 15-25% of patients with severe COVID-19 exhibit neurological symptoms, according to estimates, with such symptoms including headaches, confusion, and seizures. Researchers have turned to electroencephalography (EEG) tests to investigate the impact of the virus on the brain, analyzing data from 617 patients across 84 studies.
The study, published in the journal Seizure: European Journal of Epilepsy, found that the frontal lobes of the brain were particularly affected, with one-third of the abnormal findings identified in this region. The median age of the patients undergoing EEG testing was 61.3 years, with two-thirds being male.
The most common findings were the slowing of brain waves and abnormal electrical discharges. Notably, the extent of EEG abnormalities was found to positively correlate with the severity of the disease and the presence of preexisting neurological conditions.
Dr. Zulfi Haneef, an assistant professor of neurology/neurophysiology at Baylor College of Medicine, one of the study's co-authors, suggests that the virus may be entering the brain through the nose, given the close proximity of the frontal lobe to this entry point. Haneef emphasized the need for further EEG tests and other brain imaging techniques such as MRIs and CT scans to provide a closer examination of the frontal lobe.
While the virus may not be directly responsible for all the damage observed in the study, systemic effects of the infection, including inflammation, low oxygen levels, and unusual blood characteristics, may contribute to EEG abnormalities extending beyond the frontal lobes.
Approximately 70% of patients showed "diffuse slowing" in the background electrical activity of the whole brain. Some people who have recovered from COVID-19 report ongoing health problems, now known as long COVID, among which is "brain fog." A recent study found that 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.
The study did not establish a direct link between the infection and long-term cognitive decline, but it does highlight concerns about lasting effects on the brain. Haneef recognizes the possible implications, stating, "These findings tell us that there might be long-term issues, which is something we have suspected, and now we are finding more evidence to back that up."
On a positive note, 56.8% of patients who had follow-up EEG tests showed improvements. However, the researchers noted several limitations, including a lack of access to individual studies' raw data and the potential skewing of research results due to doctors performing disproportionately more EEGs on patients with neurological symptoms. Additionally, some patients may have been given anti-seizure medications, which might have obscured signs of seizures in their EEG traces.
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- The coronavirus, more specifically COVID-19, has been shown to exhibit neurological symptoms in approximately 15-25% of severe cases, with symptoms such as headaches, confusion, and seizures.
- Researchers, in a bid to understand the virus' impact on the brain, have turned to electroencephalography (EEG) tests, analyzing data from 617 patients across 84 studies.
- The study, published in the journal Seizure: European Journal of Epilepsy, found that the frontal lobes of the brain were particularly affected, with one-third of the abnormal findings identified in this region.
- The most common findings were the slowing of brain waves and abnormal electrical discharges, and the extent of EEG abnormalities was found to positively correlate with the severity of the disease and the presence of preexisting neurological conditions.
- Haneef, an assistant professor of neurology/neurophysiology at Baylor College of Medicine, suggests that the virus may be entering the brain through the nose, given the close proximity of the frontal lobe to this entry point.
- Although the virus may not be directly responsible for all the damage observed, systemic effects of the infection, such as inflammation, low oxygen levels, and unusual blood characteristics, may contribute to EEG abnormalities extending beyond the frontal lobes.
- Approximately 70% of patients showed "diffuse slowing" in the background electrical activity of the whole brain, and some recovered patients report ongoing health problems like "brain fog."
- There are concerns about lasting effects on the brain from COVID-19, with Haneef acknowledging possible long-term issues, and emphasizing the need for further EEG tests, MRIs, CT scans, and more research to better understand the condition.
