Brain's frontal lobes may experience electrical disruptions due to COVID-19 infection
Brain abnormalities pinpointed by EEG scans are common among individuals suffering from neurological symptoms related to COVID-19, a review of research suggests. It's estimated that around 15-25% of patients with severe COVID-19 may experience neurological issues like headaches, confusion, delirium, seizures, and strokes.
To delve deeper into COVID-19's impact on the brain, researchers from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, TX, and the University of Pittsburgh, PA, scrutinized EEG test results from 617 patients, as reported in 84 different studies.
The median age of patients who underwent an EEG was 61.3 years, and 2/3rds were males. The most frequent findings were slowing of brain waves and abnormal electrical discharges. Furthermore, the extent of EEG abnormalities positively correlated with the severity of the disease and the presence of preexisting neurological conditions, such as epilepsy.
The review, published by the journal Seizure: European Journal of Epilepsy, sheds light on the fact that the virus may not be solely responsible for all the damage; systemic effects of the infection, like inflammation, low oxygen levels, thick blood, and cardiac arrest, could play a role in EEG abnormalities extending beyond the frontal lobes.
Dr. Zulfi Haneef, an assistant professor of neurology/neurophysiology at Baylor and a co-author of the study, noted that there seems to be a connection between the virus' most likely entry point, the nose, and the frontal lobes of the brain. He suggested that EEG testing and other forms of brain imaging should be conducted more often on a wider range of patients to further investigate this connection.
It's important to mention that individuals who have recovered from COVID-19 report ongoing health issues, such as "brain fog." Recent studies suggest that the infection could have aged people cognitively by a decade. Alarmingly, the discovery of EEG abnormalities linked to COVID-19's neurological symptoms only adds to these concerns.
On a brighter note, the researchers reported that 56.8% of those who had follow-up EEG tests showed improvements. However, the study had limitations, such as lack of access to raw data, omitted normal EEG test results, and possible overuse of anti-seizure medications masking signs of seizures in the EEG traces.
(Enrichment Data: The relationship between COVID-19 and EEG abnormalities in the frontal lobes may stem from changes in brain function linked to COVID-19-related neurological effects. These alterations can be due to hypoxia, inflammation, direct viral impact on neural tissue, or neuropsychiatric factors. Hypoxia, inflammation, and direct viral neurotropism cause impaired neuronal activity, resulting in EEG abnormalities. Simultaneously, cholinergic denervation, psychological stress, and psychiatric symptoms may contribute to EEG slowing.)
- The coronavirus, when it causes severe neuroological issues such as headaches, confusion, seizures, and strokes in patients, may leave persistent EEG abnormalities in the brain.
- Researchers have found that the presence of preexisting neurological medical conditions like epilepsy, mental health issues, and neurological disorders could exacerbate EEG abnormalities in COVID-19 patients.
- In the course of health and wellness, individuals who have recovered from COVID-19 often experience symptoms like "brain fog," and ongoing concerns are being raised due to the linkage of COVID-19 to EEG abnormalities in the frontal lobes.
- Despite the limitations of available data, a significant number of COVID-19 patients with follow-up EEG tests have shown improvement. Nevertheless, ongoing scientific research remains necessary to further investigate the impact of COVID-19 on brain function and the potential for long-term neurological consequences.
