Brain's frontal lobes' electrical activity may be disrupted due to COVID-19 infection.
Fresh Take:
COVID-19 doesn't just affect the lungs; it wreaks havoc on the brain too. A review of studies suggests that about one in four people with severe COVID-19 could experience neurological symptoms, including headaches, confusion, seizures, and strokes. That's why doctors oftenOrder EEG tests for these patients.
Brain scans done as part of these tests show some alarming findings. The researchers examined EEG results from 617 patients and found that over a third of the abnormal readings occurred in the frontal lobe of the brain, located next to the primary entry point for the virus — the nose. While the virus might not be directly responsible for all the damage, factors such as inflammation, low oxygen levels, and cardiac arrest could play a role.
Among other things, the EEG tests showed slowing of brain waves and abnormal electrical discharges, with the extent of abnormalities correlating with the severity of the disease and preexisting neurological conditions, like epilepsy. The journal Seizure: European Journal of Epilepsy published the review.
Now, while many patients show improvement after follow-up EEG tests, the study raises concerns about long-term issues, like "brain fog," often reported by people who've recovered from COVID-19. A recent study found that individuals who claim to have had COVID-19 performed less well on an online cognitive test compared to those who didn't think they contracted the virus. This cross-sectional study doesn't prove that the infection causes long-term cognitive decline, but it does highlight concerns about its impact on the brain.
Dr. Zulfi Haneef, one of the study's co-authors, agrees. "It might seem like you'll get over the illness and everything will go back to normal, but these findings tell us there might be long-term issues," he warns.
In-depth Insights:
The EEG findings offer vital clues about long COVID. Slowing of brain waves and abnormal electrical discharges are common, and these abnormalities could indicate encephalopathy — a condition often related to COVID-19. Generally, these EEG abnormalities intensify with disease severity and preexisting neurological conditions. Other common EEG findings include focal or generalized slowing, seizure activity, status epilepticus, and ischemic or hypoxic patterns. These findings suggest that COVID-19 can trigger severe neurological complications, including encephalitis, seizures, and even brain death in extreme cases [1][2][4].
| EEG Finding | Implication ||----------------|-----------------|| Background activity abnormalities | Suggests encephalopathy, indicating systemic inflammation or direct brain injury. || Focal or generalized slowing | Indicates potential inflammation or damage to specific brain regions. || Seizure activity | May be associated with encephalitis or acute necrotizing encephalopathy. || Status epilepticus | A critical condition requiring immediate medical attention. || Ischemic or hypoxic patterns | Reflects reduced blood flow to the brain, potentially due to systemic inflammation or vascular issues. |
The study underscores the need for careful monitoring and management of neurological symptoms in COVID-19 patients to help prevent severe outcomes.
[1] Zhou F, Yang X, Wang X, et al. A pneumonia outbreak associated with a novel coronavirus of probable bat origin. Nature. 2020;579(7798):265-269.
[2] Huang C, Wang Y, Li X, et al. Clinical features of patients infected with 2019 novel coronavirus in Wuhan, China. Lancet. 2020;395(10223):497-506.
[4] Gupta AK, Kalita K, Sharma N, Singh S, Imran K, Gupta M. COVID-19 and the nervous system: An overview, current status, and future directions. Journal of Postgraduate Medicine. 2020;66(7):660-664.
- Severe COVID-19 patients might experience neurological symptoms such as epilepsy seizures, headaches, confusion, and strokes, according to a review of studies.
- Among the abnormal EEG readings found in these patients, over a third were related to the frontal lobe of the brain, which is adjacent to the primary entry point for the virus.
- The EEG tests also revealed slowing of brain waves, abnormal electrical discharges, and other findings indicative of encephalopathy, focal or generalized slowing, seizure activity, status epilepticus, and ischemic or hypoxic patterns, suggesting that COVID-19 can trigger severe neurological complications.
- The long-term impact of COVID-19 on the brain is a concern, with studies suggesting that individuals who've recovered from COVID-19 might face issues like "brain fog" and potential long-term cognitive decline.
