Brain's Frontal Lobes Disruption by COVID-19 Affects Electrical Activity
COVID-19's effects on the brain are becoming increasingly apparent, according to recent research. In a study published in the journal Seizure: European Journal of Epilepsy, researchers from Baylor College of Medicine and the University of Pittsburgh analyzed EEG results from 617 patients to better understand the virus' impact on the brain.
Here's a lowdown on what they discovered.
Half of the patients included in the study had neurological symptoms, such as headaches, confusion, seizures, and strokes. EEG tests, which monitor electrical activity in the brain, revealed abnormalities in over a third of these patients, with the most common finding being slowing of brain waves and abnormal electrical discharges.
The researchers found that these EEG abnormalities were more prominent in patients with severe disease and those with pre-existing neurological conditions, like epilepsy. Interestingly, around a third of the abnormalities were found in the frontal lobes of the brain, leading Dr. Zulfi Haneef, co-author of the study, to suggest that the nose might be a likely entry point for the virus given its proximity to this region.
But it's important to note that the virus may not be directly responsible for all the damage. Systemic effects of the infection, such as inflammation, low oxygen levels, and cardiac arrest, may play a role in EEG abnormalities that extend beyond the frontal lobes.
On a somewhat grim note, some recovered COVID-19 patients report ongoing health problems, known as "long COVID". Among these is "brain fog", a cognitive decline that can last for weeks or even months. Although causation hasn't been definitively established, a recent study suggests that the infection may have aged people cognitively by around a decade.
On the bright side, follow-up EEG tests revealed improvements in 56.8% of the patients. However, the study does have its limitations, such as lack of access to raw data and potential skewing of results due to doctors performing disproportionately more EEGs on patients with neurological symptoms.
In short, COVID-19 is a multi-system disease that can affect the brain, leading to neurological symptoms and EEG abnormalities, especially in severe cases and those with pre-existing conditions. While more research is needed to fully understand the virus' impact on the brain and the potential long-term effects, it's clear that COVID-19 doesn't just target the lungs - the brain may be a vulnerable target as well. So, let's keep our heads screwed on straight, folks.
[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7273039/[4] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK92772/[Twitter handle for Dr. Haneef if available] @[Twitter handle]
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In the study by Baylor College of Medicine and the University of Pittsburgh, the coronavirus was found to potentially cause epilepsy-related seizures and other neurological disorders, as EEG tests revealed abnormalities in over a third of patients with neurological symptoms. The effects of COVID-19 on the brain, such as abnormal electrical discharges and slowing of brain waves, were more prominent in patients with severe disease and pre-existing medical conditions. Furthermore, the virus' impact on health and wellness can extend beyond the acute phase, with some recovered COVID-19 patients reporting persistent cognitive decline, known as "brain fog."
