Brain's Frontal Lobes Electrical Activity Potentially Affected by COVID-19
Freshened Up Review of Brain Abnormalities in COVID-19 Patients
A review of recent research suggests that abnormalities in the frontal part of the brain, detected by EEG tests, are common among patients experiencing neurological symptoms linked to COVID-19.
Covid-19 Brain Facts
- Around 15-25% of patients with severe COVID-19 may experience neurological symptoms, such as headaches, confusion, strokes, and seizures.
- If patients are suffering from neurological symptoms, doctors might recommend an EEG test, which involves placing electrodes on the scalp to monitor brain activity.
Researchers from Baylor College of Medicine and the University of Pittsburgh analyzed EEG results from 617 patients, reported in 84 different studies. They discovered that:
- Around a third of the abnormalities were in the frontal lobes of the brain. This may be connected to the virus's most likely entry point, the nose.
- The extent of the EEG abnormalities correlated with the severity of the disease and whether patients had pre-existing neurological conditions like epilepsy.
- The virus might not be directly responsible for all the damage; systemic effects, like inflammation and low oxygen levels, could play a role in EEG abnormalities that reach beyond the frontal lobes.
The study found "diffuse slowing" in the background electrical activity of the whole brain in almost 70% of patients.
Long COVID and Brain Fog
People who have recovered from COVID-19 might complain of ongoing health problems, now known as long COVID. Among these issues is "brain fog."
A recent, yet unpublished study suggests that individuals who claim to have had COVID-19 performed worse on a cognitive test than those who didn't think they contracted the virus. The authors propose that the infection may have aged people cognitively by around a decade.
While this study doesn't prove that the infection causes long-term cognitive decline, it does raise concerns about potential lasting effects on the brain. The discovery of EEG abnormalities associated with COVID-19 neurological symptoms adds to these worries.
"A lot of people think they will get the illness, get well, and everything will go back to normal, but these findings tell us that there might be long-term issues, which is something we've suspected, and now we're seeing more evidence to back that up," says Dr. Zulfi Haneef, one of the study's co-authors.
On the positive side, the authors report that 56.8% of those who had follow-up EEG tests showed improvements. However, there are limitations in the study, including lack of access to raw data, potential skewing of results due to disproportionate EEG testing on patients with neurological symptoms, and obscured signs of seizures due to anti-seizure medications.
The long-term effects of EEG abnormalities in COVID-19 patients with neurological symptoms can significantly and variably impact cognitive function, motor skills, and overall quality of life. Continuous monitoring and early intervention are key to managing these conditions effectively. Further research is needed to fully understand the range of long-term neurological outcomes and to develop targeted treatments.
- The study on EEG results from COVID-19 patients shows that seizures associated with epilepsy might be more prevalent among patients with pre-existing neurological conditions.
- The health-and-wellness concerns about long COVID include cognitive issues, which might be linked to the EEG abnormalities found in COVID-19 patients with neurological symptoms.
- Further research on the long-term neurological outcomes of COVID-19 patients is crucial for developing targeted treatments for medical-conditions like epilepsy seizures and brain fog.
