An investigation analyzes symptoms such as confusion, delirium, drowsiness, poor cognitive function or intense headaches
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The effects of the coronavirus in the brain can produce persistent COVID-19. This has been pointed out by an investigation that has analyzed symptoms such as confusion, delirium, drowsiness, poor cognitive function, intense headaches and uncomfortable sensations in the skin. The main author of this research has been Serena Spudich, Gilbert H. Glaser Professor of Neurology at Yale University (United States). The main conclusions have been collected in an article published in Science.
Persistent COVID-19 may be the result of persistent neuroinflammation triggered during acute infection, or other autoimmune-related changes.
Neurological and psychiatric complications
For its part, the neurological and psychiatric complications of COVID-19 are diverse. They sometimes persist long after patients recover from their initial infections. The heterogeneity of the virus has been an aspect investigated by Serena Spudich. Even in mild cases, COVID-19 can cause confusion, delirium, drowsiness, poor cognitive function, severe headaches, and uncomfortable skin sensations. In the most severe cases, patients have suffered complications as serious as strokes.
“Many people have symptoms persistent for months. Often, they have had complete resolution of their fevers and respiratory problems, but continue to have problems thinking, concentrating, memory, or difficulties with strange sensations and headaches,” Spudich commented.
Early in the pandemic, researchers were concerned that neurological symptoms could be attributed to SARS-CoV-2 invading and replicating in brain cells and directly damaging the brain. However, the vast majority of current tests reveal that this is not the case. “In our article, we aggregate the evidence that has been systematically investigated and summarize how the brain is affected during acute COVID-19. We found that most research points to an immune-mediated injury, instead of the virus actually entering the brain and killing cells there,” Spudich said.
The effects of coronavirus on the brain
Researchers can look for the presence of pathogens in the nervous system by studying the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Of the many studies that have been carried out around the world, very few have detected traces of SARS-CoV-2 in the CSF. Furthermore, autopsy studies (which can sometimes detect viral fragments in the brain) have also found no remaining particles.
However, even in the absence of a replicating virus, COVID-19 can contribute to immunological changes. Specifically, studies have pointed to an increase in markers of immune activation and inflammation in the CSF and brain which may be the basis of the symptoms. For example, immune cells release certain proteins to fight infection. These proteins can also have unwanted effects that interfere with neurological function.
changes in the nervous system
“We think that in some people who get COVID-19 and have neurological symptoms, the immune system is causing changes in the nervous system that end up making them symptomatic,” Spudich said. Also, scientists believe that some symptoms may be caused by autoimmunity. “In these cases, the immune system makes a mistake and attacks its own brain or peripheral nerve cells, causing neurological or psychiatric consequences”, explained the researcher.
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