Brain's Frontal Lobes Disrupted by COVID-19: New Study Findings
Fresh Take on EEG Abnormalities in COVID-19 Patients
Scores of scientific research indicate that peculiarities in the frontal region of the brain, uncovered through electroencephalography (EEG) tests, are common amongst individuals experiencing neurological symptoms associated with COVID-19.
Coronavirus lowdown
Statistical estimates propose that roughly 15-25% of patients experiencing severe COVID-19 symptoms might exhibit neurological issues, such as headaches, confusion, delirium, impaired consciousness, seizures, and strokes.
Physicians may suggest an EEG test for patients grappling with such neurological problems. For this test, electrodes are placed on the scalp to monitor the electrical activity of the brain.
To understand the impact of COVID-19 on the brain, experts from Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, and the University of Pittsburgh, PA, scrutinized EEG results from 617 patients, pulled from 84 diverse studies.
The typical patient undergoing an EEG was 61.3 years old, with males accounting for two-thirds of the population.
Researchers discovered that the most recurrent finding was the slowdown of brain waves and irregular electrical discharges.
Interestingly enough, the more severe the EEG abnormalities, the more closely they correlated with the severity of the disease and the presence of pre-existing neurological conditions, such as epilepsy.
The journal Seizure: European Journal of Epilepsy published the comprehensive analysis.
Digging Deeper into Coronavirus
Around a third of the detected abnormalities arose in the frontal lobes of the brain. To Dr. Zulfi Haneef, assistant professor of neurology/neurophysiology at Baylor, this may indicate a connection between the virus' entry point, the nose, and the surrounding brain region.
"Given the proximity of the frontal lobe to our most likely point of entry for the virus, it's crucial that we expand our use of EEG testing and other brain imaging techniques, like MRI or CT scans, to better investigate the frontal lobe" says Haneef.
While the study reveals that COVID-19 might play a direct role in the damage to the frontal lobe, the researchers caution that systemic effects of the illness, such as inflammation, low oxygen levels, sticky blood, and cardiac arrest, could potentially be factors in other regions of the brain with EEG abnormalities.
The research identified "diffuse slowing" in the background electrical activity of the whole brain in almost 70% of patients.
Foggy Brains
Some recovered COVID-19 patients report ongoing health problems, now referred to as long COVID. Among these complications is the so-called "brain fog."
A recent, yet unpublished study, uploaded to the preprint server MedRxiv, suggests that individuals who believe they have had COVID-19 exhibited poorer performance on a cognitive test than those who never contracted the virus.
Regarding the study, experts voiced concerns about lasting effects on the brain, but it does not definitively demonstrate long-term cognitive decline. However, it does suggest that the infection might accelerate cognitive aging by approximately a decade.
"The observed EEG abnormalities in patients with the neurological symptoms of COVID-19 reinforce these concerns," shares Dr. Haneef.
"Many individuals believe that they'll get over the illness and return to normal, but these findings hint at long-term issues, which aligns with our suspicions and bolsters the evidence behind them," he adds.
On the flip side, the study found that more than half of those with follow-up EEG tests displayed improvements.
** leaning heavily on the enrichment:
The findings illustrate the potential link between the virus, brain injuries, and long-term neurological impacts in COVID-19 patients. EEG patterns may reveal underlying encephalopathy, neuroinflammation, or hypoxic injury related to COVID-19 neurological complications.
Generalized slowing in delta and theta bands, increased delta/theta ratios, and sometimes epileptiform discharges or seizure patterns are common EEG abnormalities observed in COVID-19 patients. These alterations might stem from direct viral effects on the brain or systemic consequences like inflammation, hypoxia, or cardiac issues.
It is worth noting that a portion of the EEG abnormalities may be partially or entirely attributed to treatment such as anti-seizure medications, potentially skewing the research outcomes. To obtain a more accurate understanding of the interrelationship between COVID-19, the brain, and long-term neurological sequelae, further research is required.
- The coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, seems to be linked to neurological disorders, as statistical estimates suggest that 15-25% of severe cases might exhibit such issues.
- In the quest to understand the coronavirus' impact on the brain, a comprehensive analysis was conducted using EEG results from 617 patients, revealing the slowdown of brain waves and irregular electrical discharges as the most recurrent finding.
- Interestingly, the more severe the EEG abnormalities, the more closely they correlated with the severity of the disease and the presence of pre-existing neurological conditions, such as epilepsy.
- Some neurological symptoms associated with COVID-19, like headaches, confusion, delirium, impaired consciousness, seizures, and strokes, may warrant an EEG test, in which electrodes are placed on the scalp to monitor the electrical activity of the brain.
- The study's findings reinforce concerns about long-term issues in COVID-19 patients, including cognitive decline and "brain fog," as a recent study suggests that individuals who have had COVID-19 may exhibit poorer cognitive function.
- While anti-seizure medications could partially explain some EEG abnormalities in COVID-19 patients, further research is necessary to obtain a more accurate understanding of the interrelationship between COVID-19, the brain, and long-term neurological sequelae.
