Posted on Jul 11, 2020 at 2:33 p.m.
Stroke, delusions, hallucinations or nerve damage … brain problems related to Covid-19 may be more common than researchers have first noticed. A recent study by University College London (UCL) and published in the trade journal Brain suggests that serious problems can arise even in patients with mild forms.
Until the publication of this research, only severe Covid-19 infections were known to carry the risk of neurological complications. Finally, the study reveals that the onset of neurological disorders is not always correlated with the severity of respiratory symptoms.
Neurological symptoms of 43 patients
This study was carried out on the basis of the observation of the neurological symptoms of 43 patients hospitalized for a confirmed or suspected Covid-19 disease. Among them were ten cases of temporary brain dysfunction, twelve cases of brain inflammation, eight strokes and eight cases of nerve damage.
Most of these inflammation patients have been diagnosed with acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM, also known as post-infectious encephalitis), a rare condition usually seen in children after viral infections.
Experts are however reassuring. While this new work suggests that brain complications may be more common, they point out that it doesn’t mean that it is widespread. “The great attention paid to this pandemic makes it very unlikely that there will be a large parallel pandemic of unusual brain damage linked to Covid-19” explains Anthony David, director of the Institute of Mental Health of the ‘UCL.
With AFP
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