Brain's frontal lobes may experience electrical disturbances due to COVID-19 infection
COVID-19 and Brain Function: What the Data Suggests
It's no secret that neurological symptoms are common among severe COVID-19 patients. Headaches, confusion, delirium, and seizures are just a few of the issues reported among those battling the virus.
In an effort to understand the correlation between these symptoms and the virus, researchers from Baylor College of Medicine and the University of Pittsburgh analyzed EEG results from over 600 patients. The findings? The virus seems to be causing some serious damage to the brain's frontal lobes.
About one-third of the abnormalities discovered were in this particular region. So why the frontal lobes? Dr. Zulfi Haneef, assistant professor of neurology/neurophysiology at Baylor, explains, "The most likely entry point for the virus is the nose, so there seems to be a connection between the part of the brain that's located directly next to that entry point."
But the virus might not be solely responsible for the damage. Systemic effects of the infection, such as inflammation, low oxygen levels, and cardiac arrest, may also play a role. In fact, the study identified "diffuse slowing" in the background electrical activity of the whole brain in almost 70% of patients.
Some people who have recovered from COVID-19 are now dealing with ongoing health issues, including what's being called "long COVID." Among these is "brain fog." A recent study found that individuals who think they've had COVID-19 perform less well on cognitive tests compared to those who haven't contracted the virus.
The correlation between EEG abnormalities and the neurological symptoms of COVID-19 only adds to these concerns. As Dr. Haneef puts it, "A lot of people think they'll get the illness, get well, and everything will go back to normal, but these findings tell us that there might be long-term issues."
On the bright side, more than half of the patients who had follow-up EEG tests showed improvements. However, limitations in the study, such as lack of access to raw data and potential skewing of results due to disproportionate testing of patients with neurological symptoms, should be considered.
So, while the connection between COVID-19 and EEG abnormalities in the frontal lobes is still somewhat unclear, it's clear that the virus is having a significant impact on brain health, both in the short and potentially long term. Keep an eye on our coronavirus hub for updates on this and other developments related to COVID-19.
- Seizures, often associated with neurological conditions, have been reported among severe COVID-19 patients, with some research suggesting a correlation between these symptoms and the virus.
- As more evidence emerges, scientists are increasingly worried about the potential long-term effects of COVID-19 on brain health, with concerns raised about ongoing issues like "brain fog," as a result of "long COVID."
- In addition to the direct impact of the virus, systemic effects such as inflammation, low oxygen levels, and cardiac arrest may also contribute to neurological abnormalities observed in some COVID-19 patients.
