Brain's Frontal Lobes Electrical Activity Potentially Affected by COVID-19
Approximately 15-25% of patients with severe COVID-19 may develop neurological symptoms, according to estimates. These symptoms can manifest as headaches, confusion, delirium, impaired consciousness, seizures, and strokes, among others. To investigate the effects of COVID-19 on the brain, researchers analyzed EEG results from 617 patients, reported in 84 studies.
The researchers, from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, TX, and the University of Pittsburgh, PA, found that the most common EEG findings among COVID-19 patients were slowing of brain waves and abnormal electrical discharges. Notably, these abnormalities were more prevalent in the frontal lobes, with approximately one-third of the abnormal findings observed in this region.
The severity of the disease and the presence of preexisting neurological conditions, such as epilepsy, were found to positively correlate with the extent of EEG abnormalities. Dr. Zulfi Haneef, an assistant professor of neurology/neurophysiology at Baylor, suggests that the frontal lobe warrants closer examination, as it lies next to the likely entry point for the virus in the nose.
However, the researchers note that the virus may not be directly responsible for all the damage observed in EEG results. Systemic effects of the infection, such as inflammation, low oxygen levels, unusually "sticky" blood, and cardiac arrest, may also contribute to EEG abnormalities that extend beyond the frontal lobes.
Some people who have recovered from COVID-19 report ongoing health problems, now labeled 'long COVID.' Among these issues is 'brain fog,' which may be related to cognitive decline observed in individuals who claim to have had COVID-19. A recent study suggests that the infection may have aged people cognitively by around a decade.
The relationship between EEG abnormalities and COVID-19 neurological symptoms is complex and not fully understood. However, these findings underscore the need for further research to clarify the specific mechanisms by which COVID-19 affects brain regions like the frontal lobes. This would involve more detailed studies using advanced neuroimaging and neurostimulation techniques to better understand the neurological impacts of COVID-19.
- The study on COVID-19 patients' EEG results revealed that epilepsy seizures and other neurological symptoms might be linked to the coronavirus, as researchers found that one-third of abnormal EEG findings were observed in the frontal lobes, a region near the likely entry point for the virus.
- Exploring the health-and-wellness effects of COVID-19 on various medical-conditions, the researchers observed that the severity of the disease and preexisting neurological disorders like epilepsy positively correlated with the extent of EEG abnormalities.
- As more research is conducted on the neurological disorders associated with COVID-19, science aims to better understand the complex relationship between EEG abnormalities and COVID-19 neurological symptoms, especially in terms of brain fog and cognitive decline reported in long COVID cases.
