COVID-19 and the Brain: EEG Abnormalities Explained
Brain's Frontal Lobes Electrical Activity May Be Affected by COVID-19
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Research indicates that a good number of individuals battling neurological symptoms with COVID-19 exhibit unusual EEG test results. Here's a breakdown of that connection.
EEG Basics
EEG (electroencephalography) involves testing the brain's electrical activity by placing electrodes on the scalp. This method is often employed when doctors suspect neurological issues, such as seizures.
Findings
A team of researchers, including specialists from Baylor College of Medicine and the University of Pittsburgh, studied EEG results from over 600 COVID-19 patients. Their findings reveal that:
- About one-third of the abnormalities were detected in the frontal lobes of the brain, a region adjacent to the typical virus entry point (nose).
- Common issues in the brain wave patterns and electrical discharges.
- The severity of EEG abnormalities was positively associated with the severity of the disease and the presence of preexisting neurological conditions like epilepsy.
The journal Seizure: European Journal of Epilepsy published the review.
Brain Imaging Importance
Dr. Zulfi Haneef,one of the co-authors of the study, suggests that EEG testing and other brain imaging, like MRI or CT scans, should be considered for a wider range of patients to understand the virus's impact on the brain's frontal lobe better.
Potential Factors Beyond the Virus
It's crucial to remember that the virus might not be directly responsible for all the damage observed. Systemic effects of the infection, such as inflammation, low oxygen levels, "sticky" blood, and cardiac arrest, may play a significant role in the EEG abnormalities that extend beyond the frontal lobes.
Long COVID and Brain Fog
Some people who recover from COVID-19 report ongoing health issues known as "long COVID." Among these issues is "brain fog." While a study on this topic, yet to be peer-reviewed, suggests COVID-19 may cause a decade's worth of cognitive decline, it doesn't definitively prove this since only cross-sectional data is available.
However, the presence of EEG abnormalities in COVID-19 neurological symptoms adds to the concerns about lasting brain effects, according to Dr. Haneef.
Improvements Over Time
Interestingly, the study found that around 56.8% of patients who had follow-up EEG tests showed improvements.
Limitations
The study had a few limitations, including lack of access to raw data, potential omission of normal EEGs, and potential skewing of results due to doctors performing more EEGs on patients with neurological symptoms. Additionally, patients may have been administered anti-seizure medications, which could have obscured seizure signs on EEG traces.
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[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7479732/[3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7255688/[5] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7184693/
- The study of EEG results from over 600 COVID-19 patients, conducted by researchers including specialists from Baylor College of Medicine and the University of Pittsburgh, reveals a connection between the coronavirus and neurological conditions, specifically epilepsy and seizures.
- The journal Seizure: European Journal of Epilepsy published a review of this research, highlighting the occurrence of unusual EEG test results in individuals with COVID-19 who exhibited neurological symptoms.
- The severity of EEG abnormalities was found to be positively associated with the severity of the disease and the presence of preexisting neurological conditions like epilepsy, indicating a potential impact on health-and-wellness and mental-health, particularly in those with neurological disorders.
- It's crucial for a broader range of patients to undergo EEG testing and other brain imaging, such as MRI or CT scans, to better understand the coronavirus's impact on the brain, particularly the frontal lobe, as suggested by Dr. Zulfi Haneef, one of the co-authors of the study.
