Brain's Frontal Lobes Electric Activity Potentially Affected by COVID-19
A study reviewing research indicates that electroencephalography (EEG) tests often reveal abnormalities in the front part of the brain among patients experiencing neurological symptoms due to COVID-19.
According to the researchers, approximately 15-25% of patients with severe COVID-19 may experience neurological symptoms, which can include headaches, confusion, seizures, and strokes. Moreover, these symptoms might prompt doctors to refer patients for an EEG test, during which electrodes are placed on the scalp to monitor brain electrical activity.
To explore the impact of COVID-19 on the brain, researchers analyzed EEG results from 617 patients, as reported in 84 separate studies. The study found that the most common EEG abnormalities involved slowed brain waves and abnormal electrical discharges. The researchers also noted a positive correlation between the extent of these abnormalities and the severity of the disease, as well as the presence of preexisting neurological conditions, such as epilepsy.
The research was published in the journal Seizure: European Journal of Epilepsy. Dr. Zulfi Haneef, one of the study's co-authors and an assistant professor of neurology/neurophysiology at Baylor College of Medicine, suggested that the virus's likely entry point in the nose might explain the connection between EEG abnormalities in the frontal lobe.
However, the researchers also pointed out that the virus might not be directly responsible for all the observed damage. Instead, systemic effects of the infection, such as inflammation, low oxygen levels, unusually "sticky" blood, and cardiac arrest, could contribute to EEG abnormalities that extend beyond the frontal lobes.
The study identified "diffuse slowing" in the background electrical activity of the whole brain in almost 70% of patients. Some people who have recovered from COVID-19 report ongoing health problems, now labeled "long COVID," which may include "brain fog."
A recent study, not yet peer-reviewed or published, found that individuals who claimed to have had COVID-19 performed less well on an online cognitive test than those who did not believe they had contracted the virus. The researchers suggested that the infection might have caused cognitive decline equivalent to aging someone cognitively by around a decade.
Experts contacted by the Science Media Centre in London, United Kingdom, expressed concern about the study's findings but emphasized that they did not prove that the infection caused long-term cognitive decline. However, they highlighted the potential for lasting effects on the brain and expressed the need for further research.
Despite the identified limitations, the authors of the EEG study reported that 56.8% of patients with follow-up EEG tests showed improvements. This suggests that some EEG abnormalities might be reversible with recovery from the illness.
- The coronavirus infection, as revealed in multiple studies, can cause neurological symptoms such as seizures, headaches, and confusion in severe COVID-19 patients.
- Interestingly, an EEG test often shows abnormalities in the frontal part of the brain among COVID-19 patients experiencing neurological symptoms, a fact that has caught the attention of health-and-wellness enthusiasts and medical professionals alike.
- A further concern arising from the epidemiological data is the potential long-term effects of COVID-19 on mental health and neurological disorders, as some recovered patients report ongoing health problems like brain fog, potentially indicative of mental-health issues or neurological disorders.
- In addition to the direct consequences on the brain due to the virus, scientists have also raised concerns about systemic effects, including inflammation, low oxygen levels, and unusually "sticky" blood, that could contribute to neurological abnormalities that extend beyond the frontal lobes, impacting health-and-wellness in a broader sense.
