Brain's Frontal Lobes Electrical Activity May Be Affected by COVID-19
Reimagined Review: COVID-19 and the Brain
Let's take a deep dive into the impact of COVID-19 on the human brain. Recent research suggests that the virus leaves a significant mark on the noggin, with one-third of patients exhibiting brain abnormalities upon electroencephalography (EEG) tests.
For starters, approximately 15-25% of patients with severe COVID-19 may suffer neurological symptoms, such as fuzzy thinking, strokes, seizures, and confusion. As these symptoms arise, healthcare providers might recommend EEG tests to monitor the brain's electrical activity by placing electrodes on the scalp.
In the quest to understand the virus's neuro effects, researchers studied EEG results from 617 patients reported in 84 separate studies. The bulk of these patients had a median age of 61.3 years, and two-thirds were male.
The researchers' findings were striking. They discovered that the slowing of brain waves and abnormal electrical discharges were the most common abnormalities. Furthermore, the severity of these EEG abnormalities positively correlated with the severity of the disease and any preexisting neurological conditions, like epilepsy.
The virus's likely entry point, you ask? Well, the virus seems to hitch a ride into the brain via the nose, neatly tucked next to the frontal lobes. Ain't that a peachy keech?!
But it ain't all the virus's fault. Systemic effects of the infection, such as inflammation and low oxygen levels, may well be the beating heart behind EEG abnormalities found beyond the frontal lobes.
"Brain fog" is a common complaint among those who've survived COVID-19. Recent studies suggest that the virus may have aged these survivors cognitively by a good decade! While the research is still burbling in the lab, these findings highlight concerns about the lasting impact on the brain.
EEG abnormalities, you ask? They add fuel to these concerns. As Dr. Zulfi Haneef, assistant professor of neurology/neurophysiology at Baylor College of Medicine, puts it, "There might be long-term issues, which is something we have suspected, and now we are finding more evidence to back that up."
On the bright side, 56.8% of those who had follow-up EEG tests showed improvements. The researchers admit that their analysis had several limitations, like limited access to raw data and disproportionate EEG tests on patients with neurological symptoms.
So, buckle up, folks, because there may be more to this COVID-19 rollercoaster than we thought. Stay tuned for further updates on the capers of this sneaky virus!
Sources:- Coronavirus data (based on publicly available data)- Study identifies EEG abnormalities associated with neurological symptoms of COVID-19 infection (Seizure: European Journal of Epilepsy)- Study finds COVID-19 may age people cognitively by around a decade (MedRxiv)- Long COVID (National Health Service, UK)
- The correlations between COVID-19 severity, preexisting neurological conditions like epilepsy, and the occurrence of EEG abnormalities are significant.
- The slowing of brain waves and abnormal electrical discharges are the most common EEG abnormalities that researchers have found in patients with COVID-19.
- The systemic effects of COVID-19, such as inflammation and low oxygen levels, may contribute to the EEG abnormalities found in patients beyond the frontal lobes.
