Brain's frontal lobes can experience electrical disruptions due to COVID-19 impacts
A Lowdown on COVID-19 and the Brain: EEG Tests Reveal Complexities
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It's been reported that around 15-25% of individuals with severe COVID-19 experience neurological symptoms such as headaches, confusion, delirium, and seizures. In some cases, patients may also suffer from strokes.
When patients experience such symptoms, doctors might recommend an EEG test. During this test, electrodes are placed on the scalp to monitor the electrical activity of the brain. Recent research focusing on EEG results from over 600 patients points to some intriguing connections between COVID-19 and the brain.
Dr. Zulfi Haneef, assistant professor of neurology/neurophysiology at Baylor, explains that the frontal lobes of the brain — located next to the likely entry point for the virus (the nose) — show a high incidence of abnormalities. This leads Haneef and his team to suggest a broader use of EEG tests for COVID-19 patients, as well as other imaging techniques like MRI or CT scans.
However, the researchers are careful to note that the virus may not directly be responsible for all the damage observed. Explanations for EEG abnormalities in COVID-19 patients may instead lie in systemic effects of the infection, such as inflammation, low oxygen levels, abnormal blood properties, and cardiac arrest.
The review, published in the Seizure: European Journal of Epilepsy, identified "diffuse slowing" in the background electrical activity of the whole brain in nearly 70% of patients. These abnormalities seem to positively correlate with disease severity and the presence of preexisting neurological conditions — such as epilepsy.
Some individuals who have recovered from COVID-19 report ongoing health issues, often referred to as long COVID. Symptoms like cognitive decline, commonly known as "brain fog," may be a persistent issue for some. A recent study found that individuals who believe they had COVID-19 performed less well on an online cognitive test compared to those who did not have the virus. This study has raised concerns about the possibility of long-term cognitive decline due to COVID-19.
Given these findings, Haneef underlines the potential for lasting neurological issues in COVID-19 patients. On the positive side, approximately 56.8% of patients showing follow-up EEG tests demonstrated improvements. However, the analysis had some limitations, such as a lack of access to raw data and possible skewing of research results due to the performance of disproportionately more EEGs on patients with neurological symptoms.
*While more research is needed to fully understand the implications of these findings, the association between EEG abnormalities and the neurological symptoms of COVID-19 serves as another concerning piece of evidence in the ongoing fight against the pandemic.*
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Insights:
- EEG Abnormalities: Abnormalities in EEG readings can indicate changes in brain activity, which might help assess neurological symptoms related to COVID-19.
- COVID-19 and Neurological Symptoms: COVID-19 can result in various neurological symptoms. The extent and severity of these symptoms can be influenced by factors such as hospitalization, preexisting conditions, and the severity of the initial COVID-19 infection.
- Severity and Preexisting Conditions: In COVID-19 patients, the severity and types of neurological symptoms can vary widely and may be affected by factors like those mentioned above. While specific data on EEG abnormalities in this context is not provided, EEG monitoring could provide valuable insights into neurological involvement.
- Role of EEG Monitoring: EEG monitoring has been shown to improve outcomes in other medical contexts. This suggests that EEG could be useful in monitoring neurological symptoms in COVID-19 patients.
- Some COVID-19 patients may exhibit EEG abnormalities, which can indicate neurological symptoms such as headaches, delirium, seizures, or even epilepsy seizures.
- As research on COVID-19 progresses, studies have highlighted the potential long-term effects on health-and-wellness, including neurological disorders and cognitive decline – often referred to as 'long COVID'.
- With about 15-25% of severe COVID-19 cases reporting neurological symptoms and EEG tests proving valuable in monitoring brain activity, science focuses on a broader use of medical-imaging techniques (like EEG, MRI, or CT scans) to help improve our understanding of the relationship between the coronavirus and the brain.
