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Brain's Frontal Lobes: Electrical Activity Potentially Interrupted by COVID-19

Brain's Frontal Lobes Potentially Affected by COVID-19, Altering Electrical Activity

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Uncredited Photographer/Source: Nicola Tree/Getty Images - A Visual Portrayal Captured by Nicola...
Uncredited Photographer/Source: Nicola Tree/Getty Images - A Visual Portrayal Captured by Nicola Tree through Getty Images

Brain's Frontal Lobes: Electrical Activity Potentially Interrupted by COVID-19

Laid-Back Review of Brain Functions in COVID-19 Patients

It's no secret that COVID-19 doesn't just attack the lungs—it can mess with your noggin too. Research suggests that about 15-25% of severe COVID-19 cases might cause neurological symptoms such as headaches, confusion, and even seizures. To help doctors understand this brainy side of the virus, they may order an EEG test. This test measures the brain's electrical activity using electrodes on the scalp.

Researchers analyzed EEG results from over 600 patients from various studies to investigate how COVID-19 affects the brain. They found that slow brain waves and abnormal electrical discharges were common, especially in the frontal lobes. This brain area is right next to the nose, the virus's most likely entry point.

While the virus might not be the only culprit, systemic effects like inflammation, low oxygen levels, and cardiac arrest could be playing a role in these brain abnormalities. Researchers also observed "diffuse slowing" in the background electrical activity of the entire brain in almost 70% of patients.

Some people who recovered from COVID-19 are reporting lingering health issues, often referred to as "long COVID." Brain fog is one of these issues, and it looks like EEG abnormalities are linked to this problem. Although research is still at the preliminary stages, this adds to concerns about long-term effects on the brain from COVID-19.

On a brighter note, almost 57% of patients with follow-up EEG tests showed improvements. However, limitations in the research, such as lacking access to raw data and potential biases in reporting normal EEGs, should be thought about when interpreting these findings.

Dig Deeper:While EEG abnormalities aren't definitively linked to the prevalence of COVID-19, ongoing research supports that EEG abnormalities can be a frequent finding in patients with neurological symptoms from COVID-19. The severity of the disease, preexisting neurological conditions, and systemic effects of the infection may contribute to these abnormalities.

  1. Frequency of EEG Abnormalities: EEG findings indicate that abnormal background activity is common among patients with neurological involvement from COVID-19.
  2. Correlation with Severity: Inflammation patterns and metabolic failures in the brain due to COVID-19 can lead to neurological symptoms and EEG abnormalities.
  3. Preexisting Conditions: Research does not provide specific data, but suggests preexisting neurological conditions could exacerbate neurological symptoms and potentially increase the likelihood of EEG abnormalities in COVID-19 patients.
  4. Comparative Perspective: In other conditions like post-infusion neurotoxicity following CAR T-cell therapy, EEG abnormalities are used as predictive biomarkers, making them potentially useful in monitoring neurological complications in COVID-19 patients.

Need a little more info? Check out the coronavirus hub for the latest updates.

  1. EEG abnormalities are a common finding among patients with neurological symptoms from COVID-19, suggesting a potential link between the disease and brain function abnormalities.
  2. The severity of COVID-19 can lead to neurological symptoms and EEG abnormalities due to inflammation patterns and metabolic failures in the brain caused by the virus.
  3. Preexisting neurological conditions may exacerbate neurological symptoms and potentially increase the likelihood of EEG abnormalities in COVID-19 patients, though specific data is not yet available.
  4. EEG abnormalities in COVID-19 patients could be useful in monitoring neurological complications, similar to their use as predictive biomarkers in conditions like post-infusion neurotoxicity following CAR T-cell therapy.
  5. COVID-19 doesn't just cause lung issues—it can also cause neurological symptoms such as headaches, confusion, and even seizures, and clinical research supports that EEG can provide insights into these brainy side effects.
  6. About 15-25% of severe COVID-19 cases might cause neurological symptoms like headaches, confusion, and seizures, and these cases often show EEG abnormalities, indicating a relationship between the disease and the brain's electrical activity.

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