Brain's Frontal Lobes Electrical Activity Impacted by COVID-19
Brain abnormalities have been found to be quite common among individuals diagnosed with neurological symptoms related to COVID-19.
According to recent studies, nearly 15-25% of severe COVID-19 cases may involve neurological complications, such as headaches, confusion, seizures, and strokes. Doctors often order an EEG (electroencephalography) test to investigate these symptoms.
To better understand the impact of COVID-19 on the brain, researchers from Baylor College of Medicine and the University of Pittsburgh analyzed EEG results from a total of 617 patients, as reported in 84 different studies. The majority of patients були aged 61.3 years and male.
The most frequent findings included a decline in brain wave activity and abnormal electrical discharges. Notably, the severity of the disease and the presence of pre-existing neurological conditions, like epilepsy, seemed to influence the extent of EEG abnormalities.
One intriguing discovery was that approximately a third of the EEG abnormalities were found in the frontal lobes of the brain. This leads many researchers to wonder if the virus's most likely entry point, the nose, might be connected to the frontal lobe abnormalities.
It’s worth noting that the virus might not be solely responsible for all the damage observed in EEG tests. Other factors, such as systemic effects of the infection, like inflammation, low oxygen levels, and unusual blood properties, may also play a role in the abnormalities.
Another phenomenon associated with COVID-19 recovery is what’s now known as “brain fog.” Some people claim to experience ongoing health issues, often referred to as “long COVID.” Interestingly, a recent, yet-to-be-peer-reviewed study found that individuals who believe they have had COVID-19 performed less well on cognitive tests than those who didn’t think they contracted the virus.
While this study doesn’t definitively prove a long-term cognitive decline due to the infection, it does raise concerns about potential lasting effects on the brain. The discovery of EEG abnormalities associated with COVID-19 neurological symptoms adds to these worries, as Dr. Zulfi Haneef notes.
On the upside, over half of the patients who had follow-up EEG tests showed signs of improvement. However, this research has some limitations, including the lack of access to individual study data, potential underreporting of normal EEGs, and the disproportionate number of EEGs conducted on patients with neurological symptoms, which could skew the research results.
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[1] Brain and Nervous System Damage in COVID-19: Links and Mechanisms. (n.d.). Retrieved March 30, 2023, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7828955/
[2] Effects of COVID-19 on the Brain. (n.d.). Retrieved March 30, 2023, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK554824/
[3] Neuropsychiatric Manifestations of COVID-19: An Early Look. (n.d.). Retrieved March 30, 2023, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7804038/
- Severe COVID-19 cases may involve neurological complications such as epilepsy seizures, headaches, confusion, and strokes, which doctors often investigate with electroencephalography (EEG) tests.
- Approximately 15-25% of severe COVID-19 cases may exhibit neurological symptoms, according to recent studies.
- In a study analyzing EEG results from 617 patients, brain wave activity and abnormal electrical discharges were common findings.
- Pre-existing neurological conditions like epilepsy appear to influence the extent of EEG abnormalities in COVID-19 patients.
- The coronavirus might be linked to frontal lobe abnormalities, as approximately a third of the EEG abnormalities were found in this region of the brain.
- Despite some limitations, follow-up EEG tests showed improvement in over half of the patients, suggesting potential positive outcomes for those with COVID-19-related neurological symptoms.
