Brain's Frontal Lobes Electric Activity Disrupted by COVID-19
Over a third of patients with severe COVID-19 and neurological symptoms may exhibit abnormalities detected by electroencephalography (EEG) tests, according to a review of research. The study, led by researchers from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, TX, and the University of Pittsburgh, PA, analyzed EEG results from 617 patients reported in 84 different studies.
Approximately 15-25% of patients with severe COVID-19 may experience symptoms such as headaches, confusion, seizures, and strokes, making doctors refer these patients for EEG tests, which involve measuring the electrical activity of the brain via electrodes placed on the scalp.
Identifying common findings among patients, the study revealed that the slowing of brain waves and abnormal electrical discharges were the most prevalent anomalies. The extent of EEG abnormalities tend to correlate with disease severity and the presence of preexisting neurological conditions, such as epilepsy.
Dr. Zulfi Haneef, assistant professor of neurology/neurophysiology at Baylor, suggests that the virus might be linked to the brain abnormalities observed due to its primary entry point in the nose. This theory could guide clinicians in administering EEG tests and other brain imaging techniques like MRI or CT scans to better understand the impact of the virus on the frontal lobe.
The researchers note that multiple factors besides the virus itself, such as inflammation, low oxygen levels, and cardiac arrest, may contribute to the observed EEG abnormalities. Diffuse slowing in the background electrical activity was present in nearly 70% of patients, suggesting a broader neurological impact of the virus beyond the frontal lobe.
While some people recovered from COVID-19 continue to experience ongoing health issues, referred to as "long COVID," one of the symptoms is cognitive decline known as "brain fog." A recent, unpublished study found that individuals who claim to have had COVID-19 performed less effectively on a cognitive test, suggesting that the infection may accelerate cognitive aging.
However, experts caution that this correlation does not prove that the infection caused long-term cognitive decline definitively. The study's findings do emphasize concerns about the virus's lasting effects on the brain, as confirmed EEG abnormalities are associated with the neurological symptoms of COVID-19 infection.
The researchers found that just over half (56.8%) of patients with follow-up EEG tests showed improvements. The study was limited by lack of access to raw data and potential biases, such as underreporting of normal EEG studies and a tendency to perform more EEGs on patients with neurological symptoms.
- The study on COVID-19 patients highlights the correlation between the severity of the disease and the prevalence of epilepsy-related seizures, as noted through EEG tests.
- The review of research indicates that mental health, specifically cognitive decline known as "brain fog," could potentially be a long-term health-and-wellness issue for recovering COVID-19 patients.
- In the quest to understand the impact of coronavirus on the brain, science continues to investigate factors like inflammation, low oxygen levels, and cardiac arrest that may contribute to abnormalities detected by EEG tests and other brain imaging techniques.
