Brain's Frontal Lobes Electrical Activity Affected by COVID-19
In a recent review of previous research, an increased prevalence of abnormalities in the frontal region of the brain among COVID-19 patients presenting with neurological symptoms has been observed. These abnormalities were detected through electroencephalography (EEG) tests.
According to estimates, around 15-25% of patients with severe COVID-19 manifest neurological symptoms, such as headaches, confusion, impaired consciousness, seizures, and strokes. When patients display such symptoms, doctors may refer them for an EEG test, which involves placing electrodes on the scalp to measure brain electrical activity.
Researchers from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, TX, and the University of Pittsburgh, PA, analyzed data from 617 patients, available in 84 different studies, to investigate how COVID-19 affects the brain. They found the most common EEG abnormalities were generalized slowing of brain waves and abnormal electrical discharges.
The extent of these EEG abnormalities was found to correlate positively with the severity of the disease and the presence of pre-existing neurological conditions, such as epilepsy. The journal Seizure: European Journal of Epilepsy published this review.
Approximately one-third of the identified EEG abnormalities were in the frontal lobes of the brain. Given that the most likely entry point for the virus is through the nose, situated near the frontal lobes, this finding suggests a potential link between the virus and brain abnormalities.
It is important to note that the virus may not be solely responsible for the observed damage, as systemic effects of the infection, such as inflammation, low oxygen levels, unusually "sticky" blood, and cardiac arrest, might also play a role in EEG abnormalities that extend beyond the frontal lobes.
Some COVID-19 patients who have recovered still report ongoing health issues, commonly referred to as "long COVID." Among these symptoms is "brain fog." A recent study uploaded to the preprint server MedRxiv suggests that individuals who claim to have had COVID-19 performed less well on an online cognitive test compared to those who did not believe they contracted the virus. The authors suggest that the infection may have aged people cognitively by around a decade.
The research conducted by the Baylor and Pittsburgh teams adds to concerns about long-term effects on the brain. Dr. Zulfi Haneef, assistant professor of neurology/neurophysiology at Baylor, notes that while many patients show improvements with follow-up EEG tests, "the findings tell us that there might be long-term issues, which is something we have suspected, and now we are finding more evidence to back that up."
- The coronavirus has been linked to an increased prevalence of abnormalities in the frontal region of the brain among COVID-19 patients experiencing neurological symptoms, such as seizures and impaired consciousness.
- A significant number of EEG test results have shown generalized slowing of brain waves and abnormal electrical discharges in COVID-19 patients, which correlates with the severity of the disease and pre-existing neurological conditions like epilepsy.
- Long-term effects on the brain are a growing concern, as some COVID-19 patients who have recovered still report ongoing health issues, including cognitive decline or "brain fog," which could potentially be a result of the infection.
