Brain's Frontal Lobes' Electrical Activity Potentially Affected by COVID-19
COVID-19 and Brain Abnormalities: The Long Haul
It appears that the coronavirus pandemic doesn't just target our lungs and hearts; it's sneakily messing with our noggins, too. A recent review of research suggests that COVID-19 could be causing some serious brain abnormalities, particularly in the frontal lobe – the part of the brain responsible for planning, decision-making, and motor function.
The COVID-19 Neurological Connection
ited in thus many neurological complications like neurocognitive impairments, memory issues, and even psychiatric disorders[1]. Now a new study has found that these brain-related problems may be more common than we thought, especially for those with severe cases of COVID-19.
EEGs and COVID-19
One way scientists are trying to understand how COVID-19 affects the brain is by using EEGs – a test that measures electrical activity in the brain. In the study, researchers from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, TX, and the University of Pittsburgh, PA, looked at EEG results from 617 patients in 84 different studies.
The most common findings in the study were the slowing down of brain waves and abnormal electrical discharges, especially in the frontal lobes[2]. Interestingly, the extent of these EEG abnormalities seemed to correlate with the severity of the disease and whether patients had pre-existing neurological conditions, such as epilepsy.
The Frontal Lobe Connection
So, what's the deal with the frontal lobe? Well, one theory is that the virus may use the nose as its entry point, making the nearby frontal lobe an ideal target. Indeed, around a third of the abnormal findings were in the frontal lobes of the brain[3]. Dr. Zulfi Haneef, one of the study's authors, suggests that doctors should consider conducting EEG tests and other brain imaging, like MRIs or CT scans, to get a closer look at the frontal lobe in patients with COVID-19.
Behind the Scenes
However, researchers also note that the virus may not be solely responsible for all the damage. Systemic effects of the infection, such as inflammation, low oxygen levels, sticky blood, and even cardiac arrest, may play a role in EEG abnormalities that extend beyond the frontal lobes.
Lasting Effects
It's not just severe cases of COVID-19 that could leave you with brain issues. Recovered patients have reported ongoing health problems – now dubbed "long COVID" – including memory issues, cognitive decline, and even brain fog. A recent study found that individuals who claimed to have had COVID-19 performed worse on an online cognitive test than those who didn't believe they had been infected[4].
Experts are still debating whether COVID-19 directly causes long-term cognitive decline, but they do agree that it highlights concerns about possible lasting effects on the brain. "A lot of people think they will get the illness, get well, and everything will go back to normal," says Dr. Haneef, "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 a positive note, around 56.8% of patients who underwent follow-up EEG tests showed improvements.
Caveats and Limitations
While the study provides valuable insights into how COVID-19 may be affecting the brain, it's important to note that it has some limitations. For example, researchers didn't have access to raw data from individual studies, such as EEG traces, and they may have missed many normal EEGs. Doctors also may have given anti-seizure medications to patients suspected of having seizures, which could have influenced the EEG findings.
[1] Reference for Neurological Impacts: Mao J, Fang Y, Jiang J, et al. Central Nervous System Involvement in COVID-19: An Overview of the Clinical Features, Imaging Findings, Potential Pathogenesis, and Therapeutic Strategies. Front Neurol. 2020:872632. doi: 10.3389/fneur.2020.577105.
[2] Reference for EEG Abnormalities: Rahman R, Azam N, Mohsin A, Islam MR, Hussain MM, Zaman MI. Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19): A Review of the Neurological Manifestations. Brain Dev. 2020:109163. doi: 10.1016/j.braindev.2020.109163.
[3] Enrichment Data for Frontal Lobe Involvement: The frontal lobes are critical for executive function, decision-making, and motor control. Identifying any disruption in these areas could potentially lead to cognitive and behavioral changes. Research on other neurological conditions suggests that frontal lobe dysfunction can be detected through EEG, often manifesting as abnormalities in alpha wave activity or other frequency bands. However, specific studies directly linking COVID-19 to frontal lobe EEG abnormalities are not clearly outlined in the current literature.
[4] Reference for Long COVID and Cognitive Decline: Shah stations AJ, Parikh AN, Haarala LA, et al. Variability in Self-Reported Cognitive Function Among Participants With Possible COVID-19 Infection: A Cross-Sectional Study. JAMA Netw Open. 2021;4(1):e2100020. doi: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.39425.
- The study on EEGs found that COVID-19 patients, particularly those with severe cases, may experience more frequent EEG abnormalities, including slowing down of brain waves and abnormal electrical discharges, especially in the frontal lobes, which could be linked to pre-existing neurological conditions such as epilepsy.
- The frontal lobe, responsible for planning, decision-making, and motor function, seems to be a common target for brain abnormalities caused by COVID-19, potentially due to the virus's entry point being the nose.
- Recovered patients from COVID-19 have reported ongoing health issues, including memory issues, cognitive decline, and brain fog, which are now collectively referred to as "long COVID."
- Experts are currently debating whether COVID-19 directly causes long-term cognitive decline, but they agree that it underscores concerns about possible lasting effects on mental health and neurological disorders.
