COVID-19 may cause interruptions in the electrical functions of the frontal lobes within the brain.
COVID-19 may impact the brain, evidenced by common abnormalities observed in EEG tests among patients experiencing neurological symptoms. According to a review of research, these abnormalities are particularly prevalent in the frontal lobes of the brain.
This analysis, published in the Journal of Seizure: European Journal of Epilepsy, stems from a study conducted by researchers from Baylor College of Medicine and the University of Pittsburgh. They assessed EEG results from 617 patients, collected across 84 separate studies.
Seventy percent of the patients evaluated exhibited slowing of brain waves and other abnormal electrical discharges. The extent of these EEG abnormalities correlated positively with the severity of the illness and pre-existing neurological conditions, such as epilepsy.
One-third of the abnormal findings originated from the frontal lobes of the brain. Dr. Zulfi Haneef, an assistant professor at Baylor, suggests a connection between this location and the virus's likely entry point—the nose—due to the proximity of the frontal lobes to this area.
Further investigation may necessitate EEG and other brain imaging tests, such as MRI or CT scans, to examine the frontal lobe more closely. It is worth noting, however, that the virus might not be directly responsible for all observed damage; systemic effects like inflammation, low oxygen levels, thickened blood, and cardiac arrest could contribute to EEG abnormalities beyond the frontal lobes.
Researchers also discovered "diffuse slowing" in the background electrical activity of the whole brain in approximately 70% of patients. In addition, ongoing health issues, often labeled long COVID, can include "brain fog." A recent study found that individuals who claim to have had COVID-19 performed less well on an online cognitive test compared to those without conviction of the virus.
Although this particular study has not undergone peer review or been published, it raises concerns about long-term effects on the brain. "These findings suggest that there might be long-term issues, which is something we have suspected, and now we have more evidence to back that up," says Dr. Haneef. On the positive side, 56.8% of patients who had follow-up EEG tests showed improvement.
Despite the promising findings, the analysis had its limitations. Access to raw data, including EEG traces, from individual studies was sometimes restricted, and the researchers acknowledge the potential for skewed results due to doctors' propensity to perform disproportionately more EEGs on patients with neurological symptoms. In addition, patients were often administered anti-seizure medication, which could mask signs of seizures in their EEG traces.
- COVID-19, as evidenced by common abnormalities in EEG tests, may impact the brain, particularly the frontal lobes, according to a study conducted by researchers from Baylor College of Medicine and the University of Pittsburgh.
- The study assessed EEG results from 617 patients and found that 70% of them exhibited slowing of brain waves and other abnormal electrical discharges, with one-third of the abnormalities originating from the frontal lobes.
- The connection between the virus's likely entry point—the nose—and the frontal lobes of the brain has been suggested by Dr. Zulfi Haneef, an assistant professor at Baylor.
- Further investigation into the long-term effects of COVID-19 on the brain, including EEG and other brain imaging tests, is necessary to fully understand the impact of the virus on neurological disorders, mental health, and other medical conditions related to health and wellness.
