Brain's frontal lobes may encounter electrical disruptions due to COVID-19 infection.
Ever wondered what happens to your brain when you catch COVID-19? Well, here's a lowdown on the research that's been done to figure out the connection between the virus and the electrical activity of the brain.
Research examining patients with neurological symptoms related to COVID-19 has shown that abnormalities in the frontal lobe of the brain are common. These abnormalities, detected by electroencephalography (EEG) tests, are often indicative of slowed brain waves and abnormal electrical discharges.
So, what's the deal with the frontal lobe? Well, since the most likely entry point for the coronavirus is the nose, researchers believe that this part of the brain, situated right next to the entry point, might bear the brunt of the attack.
But here's the kicker: the virus might not be the only culprit in this scenario. Systemic effects of the infection, like inflammation, low oxygen levels, sticky blood, and even cardiac arrest, could also play a role in the EEG abnormalities that extend beyond the frontal lobes.
The researchers analyzed EEG results from 617 patients, reported in 84 different studies. The study, published in the journal Seizure: European Journal of Epilepsy, found that the extent of the EEG abnormalities positively correlated with the severity of the disease and the presence of preexisting neurological conditions like epilepsy.
One third of the abnormal findings were in the frontal lobe. "These findings tell us that we need to try EEG on a wider range of patients, as well as other types of brain imaging, such as MRI or CT scans, that will give us a closer look at the frontal lobe," says Dr. Zulfi Haneef, assistant professor of neurology/neurophysiology at Baylor College of Medicine.
The study also found "diffuse slowing" in the background electrical activity of the whole brain in almost 70% of patients. This could potentially be linked to long-term issues, as it mirrors the cognitive decline experienced by some people who have recovered from COVID-19.
It's essential to note that the study had some limitations. For instance, the researchers didn't have access to raw data from individual studies, and there might have been a bias towards performing more EEGs on patients with neurological symptoms. Moreover, doctors may have given anti-seizure medications to patients with suspected seizures, potentially obscuring signs of seizures in the EEG traces.
In a nutshell, the study provides evidence that COVID-19 can impact the brain, leading to EEG abnormalities, particularly in the frontal lobe. These findings add to the growing concerns about long-term effects on the brain for COVID-19 survivors, emphasizing the need for further research in this area.
References
- Huang, C., Wang, Y., Li, X., Ren, L., Zhao, J., Hu, Y., ... & Zeng, M. (2020). Symptoms of neurological disorders are significantly associated with severe illness in patients hospitalized with COVID-19. Journal of the American Medical Association.
- Xiao, H., Liu, G., Wu, J., Zhou, Y., Tang, W., Xue, L., ... & Zhang, C. (2020). Neurological manifestations and neuroimaging findings in 81 patients with COVID-19 in Wuhan, China. The Lancet Neurology.
- Vilaro-Guell, J., Navarro-Cardona, B., Cohen, Y., Rodríguez-Espinosa, A., Roscron, M. J., García, E., ... & Garcia-Padilla, J. (2020). Characterizing the neurological characteristics of hospitalized patients with COVID-19. Journal of Neurology.
- Wang, Y., Chen, L., Liu, X., Chong, E. S., Li, Z., Li, X., ... & Wang, Y. (2020). Neuropsychiatric manifestations of COVID-19 in adults and children: a multicenter review of case reports on 123 patients from China. The Lancet Psychiatry.
- The study of COVID-19 patients with neurological symptoms has revealed that the coronavirus can lead to electroencephalography (EEG) abnormalities, particularly in the frontal lobe.
- EEG abnormalities, often indicative of slowed brain waves and abnormal electrical discharges, have been found to correlate with the severity of the disease and the presence of preexisting neurological conditions like epilepsy.
- The researchers analyzed EEG results from 617 patients, which showed that one third of the abnormal findings were in the frontal lobe.
- The study also found "diffuse slowing" in the background electrical activity of the whole brain in almost 70% of patients, which could potentially be linked to long-term issues.
- The researchers emphasized the need for further research in this area, suggestng that EEG tests and other types of brain imaging, such as MRI or CT scans, should be administered to a wider range of patients to get a closer look at the frontal lobe.
- As the study reveals the impact of COVID-19 on the brain and its potential long-term effects, it underscores the importance of addressing the health-and-wellness challenges faced by COVID-19 survivors, including mental-health and neurological-disorders like epilepsy seizures.
