Brain's frontal lobe electrical activity can be disrupted by COVID-19 outbreak
Know What's Cooking in Your Brain with COVID-19
Brain fog, seizures, and other neurological issues are common side effects of COVID-19. Research shows that COVID-19 can stir up a fiesta of abnormalities in your noggin, and electroencephalography (EEG) tests are one way to find out what's cookin'.
If you're experiencing funky neurological symptoms, such as headaches, confusion, seizures, or even strokes, a doctor might refer you for an EEG. This test involves sticking some electrodes on your scalp to monitor your brain's electrical activity.
Researchers plucked EEG data from 617 patients, reported in 84 different studies, to investigate how COVID-19 wrangles with the brain. The median age of these patients was 61.3, and 2 out of every 3 were dudes.
They discovered that about a third of the wacky EEG findings happened in the frontal lobes, which could be clueing us in on the virus's favored entry point—your schnoz.
"Since the virus typically sneaks in through the nose, it makes sense that the frontal lobe, which is right next to that entry point, is where we're seeing the most damage," says Dr. Zulfi Haneef, assistant professor of neurology/neurophysiology at Baylor. "It's time to run EEGs on a wider range of patients, and maybe even other brain imaging tests, like MRI or CT scans, to get a closer look at the frontal lobe."
But don't freak out just yet—the virus might not be the sole culprit behind all the damage. Systemic effects of the infection, such as inflammation, low oxygen levels, sticky blood, and cardiac arrest, could be contributing factors to the EEG abnormalities that extend beyond the frontal lobes.
In almost 70% of patients, the authors found what they called "diffuse slowing" in the brain's background electrical activity.
Some people who have recovered from COVID-19 are still grappling with ongoing health problems, colloquially known as long COVID. Among these is "brain fog."
A recent study suggested that the infection might have aged people cognitively by about a decade. However, it's essential to remember that this study didn't prove that the infection caused long-term cognitive decline. It just raised some eyebrows about lasting effects on the brain.
"The idea that there are EEG abnormalities associated with the neurological symptoms of COVID-19 infection is cause for concern," says Dr. Haneef. "A lot of folks think they'll shake off COVID and go back to normal, but these findings suggest that there might be long-term issues. That's something we've suspected, and now we're seeing more evidence to back it up."
On a silver lining note, the authors reported that as many as 56.8% of patients showed improvements in their EEG tests.
The research had some limitations, such as access to raw data, improper reporting of normal EEGs, and the administration of anti-seizure medications that might have masked signs of seizures in the EEG traces. However, understanding these EEG abnormalities can help doctors predict and manage long-term neurological consequences.
So, keep your wits about you, COVID-woes! Sometimes, the after-effects can linger. But don't sweat it—there's still hope for a clearer, better future. You got this!
- Epilepsy and seizures are among the neurological issues that can arise from COVID-19, with researchers finding abnormalities in EEG tests, particularly in the frontal lobes, suggesting a potential favored entry point for the virus.
- The systemic effects of COVID-19, such as inflammation, low oxygen levels, and cardiac arrest, could also contribute to the EEG abnormalities seen beyond the frontal lobes.
- Long COVID, a collection of ongoing health problems after recovery from COVID-19, includes "brain fog" and other mental health and neurological disorders, as suggested by recent studies.
- Understanding the EEG abnormalities associated with COVID-19 can help doctors predict and manage the long-term neurological consequences, offering hope for a clearer, better future for those affected.
