Brain's Frontal Lobes' Electrical Activity Disrupted by COVID-19
Due to research findings, it's common for individuals battling neurological symptoms from COVID-19 to exhibit abnormalities in electroencephalography (EEG) tests, primarily in the frontal lobes of the brain. In a study by researchers from Baylor College of Medicine and the University of Pittsburgh, approximately 33% of EEG abnormalities were found in the frontal lobes.
The most common findings in the studies reviewed were slowing of brain waves and abnormal electrical discharges. The severity of these EEG abnormalities correlated positively with the disease's severity and the presence of preexisting neurological conditions, such as epilepsy.
Estimates suggest that around 15-25% of patients with severe COVID-19 experience neurological symptoms including headaches, confusion, seizures, and strokes. If experiencing these symptoms, doctors may recommend EEG tests, which monitor the electrical activity of the brain by placing electrodes on the scalp.
Some concerns have arisen regarding the potential longer-term effects on the brain due to COVID-19, often referred to as "brain fog." A recent, yet unpublished study reports that individuals who claim to have had COVID-19 performed worse on a cognitive test when compared to those who did not believe they had contracted the virus. The authors suggest that the infection may have caused cognitive aging by around a decade.
While the virus itself may not be directly responsible for all the damage, systemic effects of the infection, such as inflammation, low oxygen levels, and cardiac arrest, may contribute to EEG abnormalities that extend beyond the frontal lobes. The study identified "diffuse slowing" in the background electrical activity of the whole brain in nearly 70% of patients.
On the positive side, the authors report that 56.8% of those who had follow-up EEG tests showed improvements. However, the study had several limitations, such as a lack of access to raw data, potential omissions of normal EEGs, and the administering of anti-seizure medications, which may have obscured signs of seizures.
As research continues, we can gain a better understanding of the long-term neurological impact of COVID-19, potentially developing targeted interventions to address ongoing cognitive and psychiatric symptoms in recovered patients.
- The coronavirus, specifically in severe cases, can lead to neurological symptoms such as seizures, headaches, and strokes, as reported in studies.
- In some COVID-19 patients, EEG tests have revealed abnormal electrical activity in areas beyond the frontal lobes, a finding attributed to systemic effects like inflammation, low oxygen levels, and cardiac arrest.
- As the research on COVID-19's neurological impact progresses, there's growing interest in developing targeted interventions to manage ongoing cognitive and psychiatric symptoms in recovered patients, including those related to epilepsy and other neurological disorders.
