Brain's Frontal Lobes Electrical Activity Potentially Affected by COVID-19
COVID-19 patients exhibiting neurological symptoms often display specific electroencephalogram (EEG) abnormalities, according to a review of research.
Approximately 15-25% of patients with severe COVID-19 may experience such symptoms, which can include headaches, confusion, delirium, impaired consciousness, seizures, and strokes. To investigate the impact of the virus on the brain, researchers analyzed EEG data from 617 patients gathered in 84 different studies.
The most common findings included the slowing of brain waves and abnormal electrical discharges, with approximately one-third of these abnormalities occurring in the frontal lobes of the brain.dr. zulfi haneef, assistant professor of neurology/neurophysiology at Baylor College of Medicine, suggested that this could be linked to COVID-19's entry point in the nose.
In addition, diffuse slowing in the background electrical activity of the whole brain was found in nearly 70% of patients. Although the virus may not be directly responsible for all damage, systemic effects of the infection, such as inflammation, low oxygen levels, unusually "sticky" blood, and cardiac arrest, could play a role in EEG abnormalities that extend beyond the frontal lobes.
Some individuals who have recovered from COVID-19 have reported ongoing health problems, now referred to as "long COVID." Among these is "brain fog." A recent study found that those who claim to have had COVID 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 aged people cognitively by around a decade.
This research adds to concerns about lasting effects on the brain. "There might be long-term issues, which is something we have suspected, and now we are finding more evidence to back that up," said Dr. Haneef. On the positive side, 56.8% of those who had follow-up EEG tests showed improvements.
Limitations of the analysis included lack of access to raw data from individual studies, omitted reporting of many normal EEGs, and potential skewing of results due to doctors performing disproportionately more EEGs on patients with neurological symptoms. Additionally, doctors may have given anti-seizure medications to patients suspected of having seizures, potentially obscuring signs of seizures in their EEG traces.
For more resources on COVID-19 and its impact on the brain, visit our coronavirus hub.
- The coronavirus, in its severe form, can lead to neurological disorders such as seizures, headaches, and impaired consciousness, according to research on COVID-19 patients.
- A review of scientific data reveals that approximately one-third of the EEG abnormalities found in COVID-19 patients occur in the frontal lobes of the brain, with the slowing of brain waves and abnormal electrical discharges being the most common findings.
- Concerns about the long-term effects of the coronavirus on health and wellness, particularly the brain, are growing. Evidence suggests that some individuals who have recovered from COVID-19 may experience ongoing neurological disorders, including epilepsy seizures and neurological disorders, referred to as "long COVID."
