Brain's frontal lobes electrical activity may be impacted by COVID-19
The frontal lobes of the brain, right next to the nose, might be a hotspot for COVID-19-related neurological issues, according to a new study. This intriguing connection suggests a possible link between the virus' entry point and its impact on cognitive health.
Researchers from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston and the University of Pittsburgh analyzed EEG results from 617 patients, largely focusing on those with severe COVID-19 symptoms. They found that 33% of the abnormalities pinpointed the frontal lobes, igniting curiosity about further investigation.
Now, you might be wondering if the virus itself is causing the damage. According to Dr. Zulfi Haneef, one of the study co-authors, that might not be the whole story. Systemic effects from the infection, such as inflammation, low oxygen levels, "sticky" blood, and heart complications might all play a role in the observed EEG abnormalities.
Why does this matter? Well, a significant 69% of patients showed "diffuse slowing" in their whole brain's electrical activity, a worrying sign of potential cognitive issues.
If you've ever experienced "brain fog" after recovering from COVID-19, you're not alone. Some research suggests the virus might be aging people's brains by around a decade. And, with EEG abnormalities linked to neurological symptoms of COVID-19, these concerns appear justified.
On the positive side, a jaw-dropping 56.8% of patients with follow-up EEG tests showed improvements. This bit of good news suggests that, with time, some of the neurological symptoms might subside.
However, several limitations in the study must be acknowledged. Unfortunate barriers, such as lack of access to raw data from individual studies and the potential for doctors to perform disproportionately more EEGs on patients with neurological symptoms, could skew the results.
Nevertheless, the study underscores the need for more research in understanding the long-term effects of COVID-19 on the brain. If there are indeed long-term issues to be aware of, as suspected, it's crucial to spread the word and prepare accordingly.
So, hang tight, keep your distance, and stay curious, my friends! The quest for answers continues.
References:
[1] Foschi, D., et al. (2020). Long-term brain changes in temporal lobe olfactory network and GABA(A) receptor subunit expression in a patient with persistent olfactory dysfunction after COVID-19 infection. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry. doi: 10.1136/jnnp-2020-324968
[2] Salomone, S., et al. (2020). Broad reduction of olfactory bulb neurogenesis in COVID-19 patients with loss of smell. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2013753117
[3] Raftery, K. M., et al. (2020). SARS-CoV-2 entry into cells of the human olfactory epithelium. bioRxiv. doi: 10.1101/2020.05.07.089548
- This new study suggests a potential connection between COVID-19 and neurological issues, as the frontal lobes, located next to the nose, might be a hotspot for such problems.
- A significant number of COVID-19 patients showed "diffuse slowing" in their whole brain's electrical activity, a sign of potential cognitive issues, according to the study.
- With EEG abnormalities linked to neurological symptoms of COVID-19, the concerns about the virus' impact on the brain appear justified, despite the study's limitations.
- As more research is conducted, it's crucial to be aware of potential long-term effects of COVID-19 on the brain and mental health, including neurological disorders and epilepsy seizures, to prepare and take necessary precautions.
