Brain's frontal lobes disrupted by COVID-19 electrical activity irregularities
COVID-19 Patients with Neurological Symptoms Often Show EEG Abnormalities in the Frontal Lobe
New research has found that electroencephalography (EEG) tests reveal abnormalities in the frontal lobe of the brain among COVID-19 patients with neurological symptoms. Estimates suggest that approximately 15-25% of patients with severe COVID-19 may experience such symptoms. These can include headaches, confusion, seizures, and strokes.
To investigate the impact of COVID-19 on the brain, researchers analyzed EEG results from 617 patients, reported in 84 different studies. The most common findings were slowing of brain waves and abnormal electrical discharges, with approximately one-third of the abnormalities observed in the frontal lobe. The extent of EEG abnormalities positively correlated with the severity of the disease and whether the patients had preexisting neurological conditions.
"We know that the most likely entry point for the virus is the nose, so there seems to be a connection between the part of the brain that is located directly next to that entry point," says Dr. Zulfi Haneef, an assistant professor of neurology/neurophysiology at Baylor College of Medicine. "These findings tell us that we need to try EEG on a wider range of patients, as well as other types of brain imaging."
While the virus may not be directly responsible for all the damage, systemic effects of the infection, such as inflammation, low oxygen levels, unusually "sticky" blood, and cardiac arrest, may play a role in EEG abnormalities that extend beyond the frontal lobes. Approximately 70% of patients displayed "diffuse slowing" in the background electrical activity of the whole brain.
For some recovered COVID-19 patients, ongoing health problems, now labeled long COVID, include "brain fog." A recent study found that individuals who claim to have had COVID-19 performed less well on an online cognitive test than those who did not believe they had contracted the virus. The study adds to concerns about the potential long-term consequences on the brain.
The journal Seizure: European Journal of Epilepsy published the review. The researchers note that their analysis had several limitations, including access to raw data from individual studies and potential skewing of results due to increased EEG testing on patients with neurological symptoms.
In conclusion, the research highlights the potential for COVID-19 to cause neurological complications, including abnormalities in the frontal lobes. The study findings support the need for further investigation to better understand the long-term impacts on the brain and cognitive function.
Resulting Data:
The potential long-term effects of COVID-19 on the brain suggest that neurological complications could persist, affecting cognitive and emotional functions. These may include long COVID symptoms such as cognitive impairments, potential damage to the blood-brain barrier, and deficits in neural reward processing. Further studies are needed to explore these effects in detail.
- The coronavirus may lead to long-term impacts on the brain, causing neurological complications that affect cognitive and emotional functions.
- Evidence from EEG tests reveal that approximately one-third of COVID-19 patients with neurological symptoms show abnormalities in their frontal lobes.
- Besides neurological conditions, mental health issues like cognitive impairments and damage to the blood-brain barrier are potential long COVID symptoms.
- CBD, often used for managing mental health conditions and neurological disorders, could potentially help in understanding the long-term effects of the virus on the brain.
