Brain's Frontal Lobes: Disruption of Electrical Activity by COVID-19
Rewritten Article
Brain abnormalities linked to COVID-19 are on the rise, with a third of cases showing issues in the frontal lobes, according to new research. This connection leads experts to suspect that the virus could be causing more damage than initially thought.
These findings are based on an analysis of EEG (Electroencephalography) results from 617 patients, collated from 84 different studies. The majority of patients were over the age of 60, and two-thirds were male.
The study discovered that the slowing of brain waves and abnormal electrical discharges were the most common findings in these patients. Interestingly, the extent of the EEG abnormalities positively correlated with the severity of the disease and whether the patients had preexisting neurological conditions, such as epilepsy.
"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 is located directly next to that entry point," explains Dr. Zulfi Haneef, assistant professor of neurology/neurophysiology at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, TX, and co-author of the study.
However, it's essential to note that the virus may not directly cause all the damage. Systemic effects of the infection, like inflammation, low oxygen levels, sticky blood, and cardiac arrest, may play a role in spreading EEG abnormalities beyond the frontal lobes.
The study identified "diffuse slowing" in the background electrical activity of the brain in almost 70% of patients. This could be a sign of widespread neurological damage caused by COVID-19.
Long COVID, the name given to lingering health issues experienced by patients who have recovered from COVID-19, often includes "brain fog," a term used to describe difficulties with memory, concentration, and other cognitive processes.
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 authors suggest that the infection may have aged people cognitively by around a decade [1].
Dr. Haneef emphasizes that the EEG abnormalities associated with the neurological symptoms of COVID-19 infection add to these concerns. "A lot of people think they will get the illness, get well, and everything will go back to normal," he tells us. "But 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 the positive side, the researchers report that 56.8% of those who had follow-up EEG tests showed improvements. However, they acknowledge several limitations to their analysis, such as lack of access to raw data from individual studies, potential skewing of research results due to doctors performing disproportionately more EEGs on patients with neurological symptoms, and the obscuring of signs of seizures due to the administration of anti-seizure medications to many patients.
In conclusion, the evidence suggests that EEG abnormalities are common in patients with neurological symptoms related to COVID-19. These issues often correlate with the severity of the disease and preexisting neurological conditions. However, more research is needed to fully understand the long-term effects of COVID-19 on the brain and the potential risks for individuals with pre-existing neurological vulnerabilities.
[1] A recent study, which has not been peer-reviewed or published but was uploaded to the preprint server MedRxiv, 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 authors suggest that the infection may have aged people cognitively by around a decade.
- The connection between COVID-19 and brain abnormalities is becoming more evident, as a third of cases show issues in the frontal lobes, according to recent research.
- Epilepsy seizures could potentially be linked to COVID-19, as the extent of EEG abnormalities positively correlated with the severity of the disease and the presence of preexisting neurological conditions.
- The science behind COVID-19 and its impact on health-and-wellness, particularly mental-health and neurological-disorders, is a growing area of concern, with long COVID symptoms like "brain fog" becoming increasingly common.
- The coronavirus may have broader implications for individuals with pre-existing medical-conditions, such as epilepsy or other neurological disorders, as the evidence suggests that EEG abnormalities are common in patients with neurological symptoms related to COVID-19, and these issues often correlate with the severity of the disease.
