Brain's Frontal Lobes Electrical Activity Potentially Affected by COVID-19
Research suggests that neurological symptoms, such as headaches, confusion, seizures, and strokes, might be common among patients with severe COVID-19. Doctors may refer patients with these symptoms for an EEG (electroencephalography) test, which measures the electrical activity in the brain.
A study by researchers at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, TX, and the University of Pittsburgh, PA, analyzed EEG results from 617 patients included in 84 different studies. The most common findings were the slowing of brain waves and abnormal electrical discharges.
Interestingly, around a third of the EEG abnormalities were found in the frontal lobes of the brain, leading researchers to speculate a potential connection between the virus's entry point (the nose) and the nearby frontal lobe. However, they note that the virus may not be directly responsible for all the damage, as systemic effects of the infection, such as inflammation, low oxygen levels, and cardiac arrest, might play a role.
Some people who have recovered from COVID-19 report ongoing health problems, now labeled "long COVID." Among these issues is "brain fog." A recent study, while not yet peer-reviewed, found that individuals who claimed to have had COVID-19 performed less well on an online cognitive test compared to those who did not believe they were infected. The study's authors suggest that the infection might lead to cognitive aging by around a decade.
Despite the study's limitations, experts believe it highlights concerns about long-term effects on the brain. Dr. Zulfi Haneef, an assistant professor of neurology/neurophysiology at Baylor and one of the study's co-authors, notes that the EEG abnormalities associated with COVID-19's neurological symptoms add to these concerns. He suggests that there might be long-term issues for some patients, which aligns with their suspicions. On a positive note, the authors report that over half of those who had follow-up EEG tests showed improvements.
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[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7115647/[2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7192603/[3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7064265/
- The correlation between the coronavirus and certain neurological symptoms, such as epilepsy seizures and brain fog in "long COVID" patients, is becoming increasingly evident through scientific research.
- Medical-conditions, such as slowing of brain waves and abnormal electrical discharges, have been identified using EEG tests in severe COVID-19 patients, with many of these abnormalities found in the frontal lobes of the brain.
- The long-term effects of COVID-19 on health-and-wellness, including mental health, remain a concern as studies suggest potential long-term issues for some patients, such as ongoing cognitive problems, even after improvement in brain activity has been observed.
