Brain's Frontal Lobes Electrical Activity May Experience Interruptions due to COVID-19
In the grips of the relentless COVID-19 pandemic, researchers have been scrambling to understand its far-reaching effects on our bodies. Among the possible complications is a potential link between the disease and brain abnormalities, particularly in the frontal lobes.
The Frontal Lobe Connection
Recent studies suggest that about a third of observed brain abnormalities are clustered in the frontal lobes, which are situated right next to the nose — the primary entry point for the virus. Dr. Zulfi Haneef, an assistant professor of neurology/neurophysiology at Baylor College of Medicine, explains, "It seems there's a connection, given that the virus typically enters through the nose."
It's important to note that the virus might not directly cause all the observed damage. Systemic effects of the infection, such as inflammation, low oxygen levels, blood clotting issues, and even cardiac arrest, could contribute to the brain abnormalities that extend beyond the frontal lobes.
The Rise of Long COVID
As the pandemic lingers, some survivors report ongoing health issues known as "long COVID." One of these is cognitive decline, or what's more colloquially known as "brain fog."
A study, yet to be peer-reviewed, found that individuals who believe they've had COVID-19 scored lower on an online cognitive test compared to those who didn't think they contracted the virus. While this study doesn't prove long-term cognitive decline from the infection, it does highlight concerns about possible lasting effects on the brain.
Dr. Haneef adds, "These findings hint at potential long-term issues, which we've suspected for a while and now have more evidence to support."
A Mixed Bag: Improvement and Concerns
On a positive note, about half of the patients who had follow-up EEG tests showed improvements. However, Dr. Haneef's research revealing EEG abnormalities associated with the neurological symptoms of COVID-19 further fuel concerns about long-term impacts on the brain.
Challenges Ahead
The study had several limitations, such as lack of access to raw data and the possibility of skewed research results due to doctors disproportionately performing EEG tests on patients with neurological symptoms. Furthermore, doctors may have given anti-seizure medications to patients that might have obscured signs of seizures in their EEG traces.
Although a direct correlation between COVID-19 and EEG abnormalities in the frontal lobes isn't yet established, more research is needed to solidify these connections.
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- Researchers are investigating a potential link between COVID-19 and brain abnormalities, particularly in the frontal lobes, as the virus typically enters through the nose.
- Some survivors of COVID-19 are experiencing ongoing health issues, including cognitive decline, or "brain fog", which might be long-term effects of the infection on the brain.
- While some patients have shown improvements in EEG tests after contracting COVID-19, the associated EEG abnormalities in the frontal lobes, as shown in Dr. Haneef's research, fuel concerns about long-term impacts on the brain.
- To further understand the connection between COVID-19 and brain abnormalities, particularly EEG abnormalities in the frontal lobes, more research is needed to overcome challenges, such as lack of access to raw data and potential bias in research results.
