Brain's Frontal Lobes Electrical Activity Potentially Affected by COVID-19
COVID-19's impact on the brain has garnered attention due to the high prevalence of neurological symptoms among severe cases. Estimates show around 15-25% of these patients experience symptoms like headaches, confusion, and seizures. Doctors use various tests, including EEG, to diagnose these issues.
For the study, researchers analyzed EEG results from over 600 patients from 84 different studies. The average age of patients was 61.3, with approximately two-thirds being males. Abnormalities in EEG findings were most commonly observed in the frontal lobes of the brain.
This poses an intriguing question - could the virus's likely entry point in the nose have a direct impact on the nearby frontal lobes? Dr. Zulfi Haneef, assistant professor of neurology and neurophysiology at Baylor College of Medicine, discussed the correlation between the frontal lobe abnormalities and the virus's entry point. According to him, the findings suggest a need for broader EEG testing, as well as other imaging techniques like MRI or CT scans, to gain a more detailed insight into the frontal lobe.
However, the researchers also noted that the virus might not solely be responsible for all the brain damage. Other factors like inflammation, low oxygen levels, unusual blood coagulation, and cardiac arrest could also contribute to EEG abnormalities beyond the frontal lobes.
The research found "diffuse slowing" in over 60% of patients' whole-brain electrical activity. This brain fog, reported by many COVID-19 survivors, has been a concern regarding long-term neurological effects. In a recent study, individuals who claimed to have recovered from COVID-19 performed less well on cognitive tests than those who did not contract the virus.
This study does not definitively prove long-term cognitive decline due to COVID-19 but raises concerns about potential lasting neurological effects. Dr. Haneef underscores the significance of these findings, stating that they suggest long-term issues, which healthcare professionals have suspected for some time.
On a positive note, nearly 57% of patients who underwent follow-up EEG tests showed improvements. Despite the study's limitations, such as lack of raw data access from individual studies, skewed research results due to a focus on patients with neurological symptoms, and the administration of anti-seizure medications, the research provides valuable insights into COVID-19's neurological effects, particularly concerning the frontal lobes.
- The study on COVID-19 patients presented evidence of epilepsy seizures and other neurological disorders, as approximately 15-25% of severe cases experienced headaches, confusion, and seizures.
- Medical professionals, such as Dr. Zulfi Haneef of Baylor College of Medicine, are exploring the correlation between COVID-19 and health-and-wellness issues, particularly neurological-disorders like the abnormalities found in the frontal lobes.
- Despite the virus's potential impact on the frontal lobes, researchers acknowledge that other factors like inflammation, low oxygen levels, unusual blood coagulation, and cardiac arrest might also contribute to EEG abnormalities in various parts of the brain.
- This research on COVID-19's neurological effects highlighted a trend of "diffuse slowing" in over 60% of patients' whole-brain electrical activity, which could have long-term implications on mental-health and cognitive functioning, raising concerns about potential lasting neurological conditions.
