Brain's Frontal Lobes Electrical Activity Disrupted by COVID-19
A study reviewing research suggests that an increased prevalence of brain abnormalities in the frontal lobe, detected via electroencephalography (EEG) tests, is common among patients experiencing neurological symptoms associated with COVID-19.
Approximately 15-25% of patients with severe COVID-19 may experience neurological issues, such as headaches, confusion, seizures, and strokes. To investigate the impact of COVID-19 on the brain, researchers analyzed EEG results from 617 patients, as reported in 84 separate studies.
The median age of patients who underwent EEG tests was 61.3 years, with two-thirds being male. The most common findings in the study were slowing brain waves and abnormal electrical discharges.
The extent of EEG abnormalities positively correlated with the severity of the disease and the presence of preexisting neurological conditions. Researchers published their findings in the journal Seizure: European Journal of Epilepsy.
About one-third of the identified abnormalities occurred in the frontal lobes of the brain. Dr. Zulfi Haneef, an assistant professor of neurology/neurophysiology at Baylor College of Medicine, says this could be due to the virus's most likely entry point being the nose, which connects to the frontal lobes, a region directly next to this entry point.
While the virus may not be directly responsible for all the damage, its systemic effects, such as inflammation, low oxygen levels, and cardiac arrest, may contribute to EEG abnormalities that extend beyond the frontal lobes. EEG abnormalities near the frontal lobes add to concerns about long-term impacts caused by the infection and raise questions about lasting effects on the brain, particularly in cases with long COVID.
Almost 70% of patients showed "diffuse slowing" in the background electrical activity of the whole brain. However, the authors note that their analysis had several limitations, including a lack of access to individual study data and the potential skewing of research results due to prolific EEG testing on patients with neurological symptoms.
While more research is needed to fully understand the relationship between COVID-19, EEG abnormalities, and the frontal lobes, evidence suggests that the severity of COVID-19 can lead to more pronounced neurological symptoms and potential brain damage, including areas like the frontal lobes. These findings could have implications for diagnostic and therapeutic strategies regarding COVID-19 and its impact on the brain.
- The study reveals that an increased prevalence of epilepsy seizures among patients with COVID-19 might be related to brain abnormalities detected via EEG tests, particularly in the frontal lobes.
- Researchers have observed a positive correlation between the severity of COVID-19 and the occurrence of EEG abnormalities, especially in those with preexisting neurological medical conditions like epilepsy.
- The impact of COVID-19 on health-and-wellness extends to the brain, as evidenced by the high percentage of EEG abnormalities, not just in the frontal lobes, but also in other regions, possibly due to systemic effects such as inflammation and low oxygen levels.
