Brain's frontal lobes' electrical activity may be impacted by COVID-19
According to recent research studies, a good chunk of neurological symptoms observed in patients battling COVID-19 are associated with abnormalities in frontal lobes of the brain. Electroencephalography (EEG) tests, which monitor brain electrical activity, are frequently used to detect these issues.
Now, let's dive into the dirty details. Estimations put the percentage of patients experiencing severe COVID-19 symptoms and exhibiting neurological symptoms, such as headaches, confusion, seizures, and strokes, at around 15-25%. Yikes, right?
So what happens when these patients undergo an EEG test? Well, research indicates that slowing of brain waves and abnormal electrical discharges are common findings. And guess what? The severity of the disorder tends to correlate with the extent of these EEG abnormalities. Plus, if the patient has pre-existing neurological conditions, such as epilepsy, expect those EEG abnormalities to be even more pronounced.
Here's the kicker: these findings suggest we might need to perform EEG tests more frequently on COVID-19 patients, as well as other types of brain imaging techniques, like MRI or CT scans, to get a better look at the frontal lobe. Why? Because that's where the virus appears to be wreaking the most havoc, thanks to its proximity to the entry point in the nose.
But wait, there's more. The EEG virus may not be solely responsible for all the damage. Other systemic effects of the infection, such as inflammation, cardiac arrest, and low oxygen levels, could also play a role in the abnormalities seen in the EEG. Oh, and did we mention that "diffuse slowing" in the background electrical activity of the whole brain was common? Yikes, again!
Now, let's talk about long COVID. Some folks who've recovered from the virus are dealing with lingering health issues, and one of them is "brain fog." A preprinted study, which means it hasn't been peer-reviewed yet, found that people who've had COVID performed poorly on a cognitive test compared to those who hadn't contracted the virus. Say what? Apparently, the virus might be aging people's brains by a decade!
So what does all this mean? Well, it adds fuel to the fire that there might be long-term effects on the brain caused by COVID-19. But don't lose hope! Almost 56.8% of patients showed improvements in follow-up EEG tests!
Keep in mind, though, that the research has its limitations. For instance, lack of access to raw data from individual studies, doctors potentially omitting to report normal EEGs, performing more EEGs on patients with neurological symptoms, and the use of anti-seizure meds may have skewed the results.
In the end, it seems that COVID-19 can have a significant impact on brain functions, including the frontal lobe. While the search results don't provide specific info on the correlation between COVID-19 severity and EEG abnormalities in the frontal lobes, future studies might help shed light on this relationship. So, stay tuned for more updates!
- The recent research on COVID-19 recipients reveals that about 15-25% of those with severe symptoms also exhibit neurological issues such as seizures, headaches, confusion, and strokes.
- Patients with pre-existing neurological conditions, particularly epilepsy, may show more pronounced EEG abnormalities when undergoing Brain Electrical Activity tests (EEG).
- The slowing of brain waves and abnormal electrical discharges detected via EEG are associated with the extent of COVID-19-related brain abnormalities and the severity of underlying neurological disorders.
- To gain a better understanding of the virus's impact on the frontal lobes, it might be beneficial to incorporate various brain-imaging techniques like MRI or CT scans, in addition to EEG tests, in the evaluation of COVID-19 patients.
- Some studies suggest that COVID-19 might have long-term effects on the brain, as indicated by symptoms like "brain fog" and poor cognitive test performance in recovered patients - a possible sign of accelerated brain aging.
