Brain's Frontal Lobes Electrical Activity Potentially Affected by COVID-19
Approximately one in six to four patients with severe COVID-19 may experience neurological symptoms, according to a review of research. These may include headaches, confusion, seizures, and strokes. In some cases, abnormalities in the electrical activity of the brain, as detected by electroencephalography (EEG) tests, have been observed in these patients.
Researchers from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas, and the University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, analyzed EEG results from 617 patients, reported in 84 different studies. The most common findings were the slowing of brain waves and abnormal electrical discharges. The extent of the EEG abnormalities appeared to correlate with the severity of the disease and whether the patients had preexisting neurological conditions.
Around a third of these abnormal findings were located in the frontal lobes of the brain, leading researchers to consider the possibility of a connection between the virus and the part of the brain close to the nose, which is thought to be the most likely entry point for the virus.
However, the researchers noted that the virus may not be directly responsible for all the damage. Systemic effects of the infection, such as inflammation, low oxygen levels, unusually sticky blood, and cardiac arrest, may play a role in EEG abnormalities that extend beyond the frontal lobes.
Some people who have recovered from COVID-19 report ongoing health problems known as "long COVID," including brain fog. A recent study found that individuals who claim to have had COVID-19 performed less well on an online cognitive test than those who did not believe they had contracted the virus, suggesting that the infection may have long-term effects on the brain.
These findings, along with the EEG abnormalities associated with COVID-19, add to growing concerns about the potential for long-term issues following recovery from the virus. On the positive side, the authors report that 56.8% of those who had follow-up EEG tests showed improvement.
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- The review of research suggests that about one in six to four patients with severe COVID-19 may experience neurological symptoms, which can include seizures, headaches, confusion, and strokes.
- Researchers have observed abnormalities in the electrical activity of the brain in some COVID-19 patients, as detected by electroencephalography (EEG) tests, with the most common findings being the slowing of brain waves and abnormal electrical discharges.
- Approximately a third of these EEG abnormalities were located in the frontal lobes of the brain, leading researchers to contemplate a potential connection between the virus and the part of the brain near the nose, which is thought to be the most likely entry point for the virus.
- The researchers noted that while the virus may not be directly responsible for all the damage, systemic effects of the infection, such as inflammation, low oxygen levels, unusually sticky blood, and cardiac arrest, might contribute to EEG abnormalities that extend beyond the frontal lobes. Furthermore, some people who have recovered from COVID-19 have reported ongoing health problems known as "long COVID," which may have long-term effects on the brain.
