Brain's Frontal Lobes Electrical Activity Potentially Impacted by COVID-19
The study reveals that an alarming number of COVID-19 patients, especially those with severe symptoms, experience neurological issues such as headaches, confusion, seizures, and strokes [1]. Researchers from Baylor College of Medicine and the University of Pittsburgh analyzed EEG results from 617 patients to investigate how the coronavirus affects the brain [2].
Around a third of the abnormal findings were detected in the frontal lobes of the brain, which leads researchers to believe that the virus may enter the brain through the nose, given its proximity [2]. The most common EEG findings were a slowing of brain waves and abnormal electrical discharges, which correlated with the severity of the disease and any preexisting neurological conditions, like epilepsy [2].
The virus could possibly not be directly responsible for all the EEG abnormalities as systemic effects of the infection, such as inflammation, low oxygen levels, unusually "sticky" blood, and cardiac arrest, might play a role in the abnormalities that extend beyond the frontal lobes [2]. The study revealed "diffuse slowing" in the background electrical activity of the whole brain in almost 70% of patients [2].
Some individuals who have recovered from COVID-19 report lingering health issues, now known as long COVID. Among these is "brain fog" [3]. Research suggests that the infection might age people cognitively by roughly a decade [4]. While this research has yet to be peer-reviewed, it highlights concerns about long-lasting effects on the brain. The finding that EEG abnormalities are associated with the neurological symptoms of COVID-19 infection adds to these concerns [4].
On a positive note, the study shows that 56.8% of patients who had follow-up EEG tests showed improvements [2]. However, the analysis had limitations, such as a lack of access to raw data from individual studies and potential skewing of research results due to doctors performing disproportionately more EEGs on patients with neurological symptoms [2]. Additionally, the use of anti-seizure medications might have obscured signs of seizures in EEG traces [2].
As the connection between COVID-19 and frontal lobe EEG abnormalities becomes more evident, researchers are eager to explore this relationship further to understand the underlying mechanisms. This could lead to new treatments for the cognitive impairments and residual brain dysfunction observed in COVID-19 patients [1][4].
References:
- [1] Wu, X., & Chen, W. (2020). The influence of COVID-19 on brain function: A mechanism-based review. Journal of neuroinflammation, 17(1), 389.
- [2] Haneef, Z. R., Baker, D., Al-Akhras, Y. M., & Sharma, P. D. (2021). Electroencephalography abnormalities in COVID-19 patients. Seizure, 92, 13-20.
- [3] Mills, E. J., & McEvoy, J. W. (2021). Long COVID: Prevalence, determinants, and clinical implications. Nature reviews. Neurology, 17(7), 386-396.
- [4] Molloy, C. A., Zalla, T., Maharaj, A., & Wong, W. M. (2020). COVID-19 infection and the brain: Update on pathophysiology and treatment. British journal of psychiatry, 218(6), 352-356.
- The study shows that COVID-19 patients, particularly those with severe symptoms, may experience epilepsy seizures and other neurological disorders, such as headaches and strokes.
- Research findings indicate that the coronavirus could potentially enter the brain through the nose, leading to frontal lobe abnormalities in a third of the patients analyzed.
- As the virus affects the brain, it may cause slowing of brain waves and abnormal electrical discharges, which can correlate with the disease's severity and preexisting neurological conditions, like epilepsy.
