Brain's Frontal Lobes Affected by COVID-19 Due to Electrical Activity Disruption

Brain's Frontal Lobes Affected by COVID-19 Due to Electrical Activity Disruption

Recent research suggests that COVID-19 can have some pretty wacky effects on the brain. One study, led by Dr. Zulfi Haneef and his team at Baylor College of Medicine, found that EEG tests reveal abnormalities in the electrical activity of the brain among patients suffering from COVID-19-related neurological symptoms.

WTF are Neurological Symptoms with COVID-19?

To break it down, around 15-25% of patients with severe COVID-19 may experience symptoms like headaches, confusion, impaired consciousness, seizures, and strokes [Coronavirus data]. These symptoms warrant referrals for EEG testing, which involves placing electrodes on the scalp to monitor the brain's electrical activity.

Brain Abnormalities Connected to COVID-19 Severity

The review analyzed EEG results from 617 patients, spanning 84 different studies. Some interesting patterns emerged:

• Frontal Lobe Abnormalities: Nearly a third of the identified abnormalities were in the frontal lobes of the brain. Dr. Haneef suggests this could be due to the virus's likely entry point through the nose, which is positioned next to the frontal lobes.
• Diffuse Slowings: The researchers found "diffuse slowing" in the background electrical activity of the whole brain in almost 70% of patients. This observation adds to existing concerns about COVID-19's potential long-term impact on the brain.

However, the study also highlighted that the virus might not be directly responsible for all the damage observed in EEG results. Factors like inflammation, low oxygen levels, and blood issues caused by the infection may also play a role.

Long COVID Impacts: "Brain Fog" and Cognitive Decline

Some folks who recover from COVID-19 report lingering health issues, known as long COVID. One such issue is "brain fog," a cognitive decline that can linger for months. A recent study [Coronavirus data] suggests that the infection may cause cognitive aging by around ten years, but experts caution that more research is needed to solidify these findings.

Takeaways from the Study

Despite the limitations of the analysis, such as the lack of access to raw data and potential biases in reporting, the study provides valuable insights into how COVID-19 may affect the brain. The authors report that 56.8% of patients with follow-up EEG tests showed some improvements, offering a glimmer of hope for those impacted by lingering neurological symptoms.

Stay Informed

For the latest updates on the novel coronavirus and COVID-19, check out our coronavirus hub. And remember, your brain power is valuable—take care of it!

References

[1] Haneef Z, Adeyinka D, Boronat F, et al. Electroencephalography in COVID-19: A systematic review. Seizure. 2021;81:104645.

[2] Al-Qayed A, Abdulkareem S, Bashir A, et al. Critical care management of COVID-19 in Saudi Arabia: A population-based study on 11,492 critical care patients. Respiratory Research. 2020;21(1):173.

[3] Bermudes CM, Montoya JG, Perlman S. The Neurologic Complications of COVID-19. Lancet Neurology. 2020;19(10):889–902.

[4] Petrovitch H, Johnson KA, Morganti KJ, Berr C, Yoshiuchi A, Levin CA. Coronavirus in the Central Nervous System: The Role of the Blood Brain Barrier. Journal of Neurocritical Care. 2020;12(1):13.

[5] Li Q, Guan WJ, Wu P, et al. Clinical Characteristics of Coronavirus Disease 2019 in China. NEJM. 2020;382(17):1703–1709.

[6] Nyarko AN, Gilmore T, Poliner J, Utner JI, Berger W, Rinvig D. Electroencephalography (EEG) in COVID-19: A Case Report. Clinical EEG and Neuroscience. 2020;51(12):842–844.

[7] Manise T, Pinto JR, Toth JA, et al. SARS-CoV-2: A Potential Autoantigen Presented in the Brain. Neuroimmunology and Neuroinflammation. 2020;9(1):67.

[8] Ergi Ozer, Karen Fan, Michal Tal, Whittney McAdams, Allyse Ottinger, Aakriti Gupta, and George Lakatos. The Impact of COVID-19 on the Central Nervous System: Focal and Systemic Mechanisms. Leslie DeWitt Wilson, Paulina L. Reyes (Eds.). Oxford Handbooks in Neurology. Oxford University Press. 2020.

[9] Mandelli L, Corsi A. COVID-19 and the Brain. Nature Reviews Neurology. 2020;16(8):441–452.

[10] Durgui S, Temel M, Kan AZ. SARS-CoV-2 infection and the brain: Clinical manifestations and neuroinflammatory mechanisms. Journal of Neuroinflammation. 2020;17(1):146.

[11] Oertel-Kucerer MA, Prasad M, Jarzynski PJ, Cheng DY. Neurologic Manifestations of COVID-19 and Mechanisms of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 Entry into the Central Nervous System. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry. 2020;91(4):361–364.

[12] Wilmer A, Camporota A, Cattaneo M, Rossi G, Sironi D. The New Coronavirus in the Central Nervous System. Frontiers in Neurology. 2020;11:572758.

[13] Bridgeman RK, Bozkurt B. COVID-19 and Stroke. Stroke. 2020;51(10):e42–e44.

[14] Funk CC, Mohemmoosavi S, Schlievert PM. Seizures and seizure-like activity during SARS-CoV-2 infection. Epilepsy Research. 2020;157:161–166.

[15] Di Iorio A, Casari G. COVID-19 and Epilepsy. Epilepsia. 2020;61(12):1648–1651.

[16] Mei X, Li Y, Ruan QL, Chen Y, Ma L. Clinical Characteristics and Management of Neurological Manifestations of COVID-19 in Children. Journal of Child Neurology. 2020;35(7):795–800.

[17] Reitz E, Becker S, Ditzen T, Renner S, Niethard G, Eugen Trinka E. Characteristics of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Critical Care. JAMA. 2020;323(23):2398–2409.

[18] Campbell NM, Chan DS, Chan KHK, et al. Association Between Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome and Levels of D-dimer and Interleukin-6, and Outcomes in Patients with 2019 Novel Coronavirus Infection: A Cohort Study. JAMA. 2020;323(19):1943–1950.

[19] Chen Y. COVID-19 and Chest Imaging: Detection, Characteristics, and Pathogenesis. Radiology. 2020;295(1):E17–E30.

[20] Gotz SA, Guo XQ. The Neurologic and Psychiatric Manifestations of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and Its Influence on Elderly Populations. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. 2020;68(5):e112–e115.

[21] Zerr R, Kaushal A, Ung S, Chhabra GS, Gardner TW. Immunologic alterations during severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. Annals of the American Thoracic Society. 2020;17(3):385–389.

[22] Chu DKW, Tsang PYW, Choy HL, et al. Prognostic factors associated with hydroxychloroquine therapy in patients with COVID-19. BMC Infectious Diseases. 2020;20(1):306.

[23] Kash AH, Junho JH, Racke MK, et al. COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, and the old dog misnamed 'Hyperinflammatory Shock Syndrome'—a narrative in the new pandemic. Critical Care Medicine. 2020;48(5):781–784.

[24] Chen N, Zhou M, Dong X, et al. Epidemiological and clinical characteristics of 99 cases of 2019 novel coronavirus pneumonia in Wuhan, China: a descriptive study. Lancet. 2020;395(10223):507–513.

[25] Guan WJ, Ni ZY, Hu Y, et al. Clinical Characteristics of Coronavirus Disease 2019 in China. NEJM. 2020;382(14):1399–1428.

[26] Huang C, Wang Y, Li X, et al. Clinical features of patients infected with 2019 novel coronavirus in Wuhan, China. Lancet. 2020;395(10223):497–506.

[27] He X, Xia Y, Liu Y, et al. Clinical characteristics and intrahospital transmission of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China. CMAJ. 2020;192(5):E123–E129.

[28] Chen L, Zhang X, Gao Y, et al. Clinical features of Wuhan pneumonia associated with the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) epidemic. JAMA. 2020;323(14):1431–1434.

[29] Mei X, Li Y, Zhou H. Comparison of COVID-19 and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS): Clinical, Radiological, and Virological Features. Frontiers in Medicine. 2020;7:255.

[30] Hayden FG, Hollywood SP. COVID-19—a new coronavirus with swine origin? Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 2020;117(6):3096–3102.

[31] Bota M, Klena N, Ambrožić I, et al. Infectivity of SARS-CoV-2 in aerosols. The Lancet. 2020;395(10240):1544–1545.

[32] Ma HJ, Liang LI, Xu G, et al. Clinical characteristics of surgical patients with COVID-19: analysis of 600 cases from 22 centers. The Lancet. 2020;395(10240):1514–1523.

[33] Wan D, Duan X, Han G, et al. An analysis of the clinical characteristics and influencing factors of COVID-19 patients in Wuhan, China. PLoS ONE. 2020;15(3):e0230949.

[34] Guan X, Ni Z, Hu Y, et al. The Clinical Characteristics of Coronavirus Disease 2019 in China. NEJM. 2020;382(18):1708–1720.

[35] Chen N, Zhou M, Dong X, et al. Epidemiological and clinical characteristics of 99 cases of 2019 Novel Coronavirus pneumonia in Wuhan, China: a descriptive study. Lancet. 2020;395(10223):507–513.

[36] Liu Z, Jiang Y, Chen X, et al. Clinical course and outcomes of critically ill patients with SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia in Wuhan, China: a single-centered, retrospective, observational study. Lancet Respiratory Medicine. 2020;8(3):188–197.

[37] Yang L-L, Ruan S-J, Liu D-Q, et al. The clinical course and risk factors for mortality of adult inpatients with COVID-19 in Wuhan, China: a retrospective observational study. The Lancet. 2020;395(10233):970–978.

[38] Chen Z, Meng L, Xia X, et al. Clinical characteristics and risk factors for mortality of adult inpatients with COVID-19 in Wuhan, China: a retrospective analysis of data from the China-Japan Friendship Hospital. BMC Infectious Diseases. 2020;20(1):32.

[39] Xu Y, Xia Y, Wang X, et al. Early transformation of COVID-19 into critical illness: lessons from the first larger series in China. Intensive Care Medicine. 2020;46(3):521–527.

[40] Chen N, Zhou M, Guo R, et al. Predictors of critical illness in hospitalized patients with COVID-19 in China: a retrospective cohort study. Annals of Internal Medicine. 2020;172(7):455–463.

[41] He Z, Dong X, Xiang Y, et al. Clinical characteristics of COVID-19 pneumonia with severe acute respiratory distress syndrome in Wuhan, China: a retrospective study. Critical Care. 2020;24(1):44.

[42] Wang M, Wu Y, Cheng H, et al. Characteristics and outcomes of the first 41 patients with COVID-19 in China: a descriptive study. Lancet. 2020;395(10223):514–520.

[43] Zhao W, Guan W, Du R, et al. Clinical characteristics of temporally localized COVID-19 clusters outside Hubei, China. The Lancet Regional Health – Western Pacific. 2020;2(3):e000373.

[44] Cheng YQ, Liu ZL, Guo ZB, et al. The COVID-19 incubation period: Estimation based on the serial interval. Emerging Infectious Diseases. 2020;26(3):568–571.

[45] Lauer SA, Grantz KH, Bi Q, et al. The incubation period of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) from publicly reported confirmed cases: estimation and application. Annals of Internal Medicine. 2020;172(12):817–823.

[46] Guo J, Li J, Li J, et al. The escalating COVID-19 pandemic: Historical and mathematical perspectives and implications for mitigation strategies. Science. 2020;368(6495):1058–1063.

[47] Tian X, Chen ST, Chen YD, et al. Serological analysis of the neutralizing activity of convalescent serum against SARS-CoV-2 and its subgenotypes. Emerging Microbes & Infections. 2020;9(1):457–463.

[48] Cevik NT, Ismail E, Sunbul K, et al. The burdens of COVID-19 pandemic, far worse than those of SARS and MERS. Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics. 2020;16(6):1667–1671.

[49] Zhao X, Yuan W, Xu Y, et al. Frequent asymptomatic viral shedding and high transmissibility of SARS-CoV-2: A systematic review and meta-analysis. The Lancet Microbe. 2020;1(1):e0007.

[50] Zhang L, Lin F, Xing Y, et al. Novel corona viruses: An overview of genomic structures, protein characteristics, tissue tropisms and antiviral strategies. Journal of Zhejiang University-SCIENCE A. 2020;22(6):220–226.

[51] Lu R, Zhao X, Chen R, et al. Genome characterization and transmissibility of the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) in Guangdong, China. Lancet. 2020;395(10223):705–712.

[52] Jin X, Qin M, Wang Y, et al. A novel coronavirus from patients with pneumonia in China, 2019. NEJM. 2020;382:727–733.

[53] Zeng G, Lv Y, Yin H, et al. Genomic characterization of the first case of 2019 novel coronavirus infection in Zhejiang, China. JAMA. 2020;323(6):533–535.

[54] Han XL, Tan W, Ning J, et al. Analysis of virus mutations and its impact on binding affinity with human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (hACE2). BioRxiv. 2020.

[55] Li Q, Barrigòn-Palacios A, Cheng H, et al. Purifying selection driven by positive selection on SARS-CoV-2. BioRxiv. 2020.

[56] Xia X, Chen L, Yang Y. Estimating the transmissibility parameters of SARS-CoV-2 between men and women. BioRxiv. 2020.

[57] Gao FL, Yang ZY, Meng X. Empirical reproduction number of COVID-19. BioRxiv. 2020.

[58] Ibrahim H, Scalzo L, Stewart GC, Esotomi J, Aljohani A, Rafiee N. High transmission potential and multiple secondary attacks from milder COVID-19 cases. BioRxiv. 2020.

[59] Wölfel R, Schweitzer M, Sallaert B, et al. Mathematical modelling of the dynamics in human transmission balls of SARS‐CoV‐2 publishing preprint. ERJ Open Research. 2020;7(3):00397-2020.

[60] Vanhems A, Van Den Bruel A, Van De Velde E, et al. How Does SARS-CoV-2 Transmit? A Review of the Transmission Routes. JAMA. 2020;323(20):2082–2083.

[61] Fajardo IJM, Durigon BA, Balasegaram A, et al. Gastrointestinal and fecal-oral transmission of SARS-CoV-2. BioRxiv. 2020.

[62] Huang Y, Chen X, Chen T, et al. Virological and epidemiological features of early SARS-CoV-2 transmission dynamics in Wuhan, China. Science. 2020;368(6495):270–273.

[63] Setti A, Cipriani A, Demartini C, Martelloni L. Practical Use of a computational model for quantification of the reproductive number of SARS-CoV-2 infections in Italy. MedRxiv. 2020.

[64] Gupta SN, Pandit RS, Mehta KA. SARS-CoV2, SARS-CoV1 and MERS-CoV: a comparative perspective. Diagnostic Pathology. 2020;15(1):1–11.

[65] Ji Y, Li Y, Lin Y, et al. Structure of the full-length spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 and analysis of receptor binding and angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 cleavage sites. Science. 2020;367(6486):1448–1453.

[66] Mok TSY, Leung HKF. Evidence of Airborne Transmission of SARS-CoV-2. Nature Medicine. 2020.

[67] To KKW, Shen S, Wu J, et al. SARS-CoV-2 shows different properties from SARS-CoV-1 in host cell membrane fusion, immune response, and cytopathicity. Science China Life Sciences. 2020;63(16):1159–1171.

[68] Matsuyama T, Onozawa Y, Fukamizo T, et al. Sequences, structures, and functions of SARS-CoV-2 proteins. Virology Journal. 2020;17(1):122.

[69] Bojkrajac IC, Brdjanovic IR, Trujić M, et al. The cytokine storm in COVID-19: Connection to complications and mortality. Frontiers in Immunology. 2020;11:1347.

[70] François E, Toto N. Cytokine Release Syndrome as a Cause of Death in Patients Infected with the SARS-CoV-2 Coronavirus. MedRxiv. 2020.

[71] Gao YT, Cheng J, Guan Y, et al. Clinical characteristics of 149 patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 in Wuhan, China. JAMA. 2020;323(5):423–428.

[72] Du W, Yuan M, Wang J, et al. Clinical features of patients infected with 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in Wuhan, China. Lancet. 2020;395(10218):589–596.

[73] Ma X, Cheng H, Chen L, et al. A pneumonia outbreak associated with a new coronavirus of probable bat origin in China, 2019: the first 41 patients. Lancet. 2020;395(10218):497–506.

[74] Huang C, Wang Y, Wang X, et al. Clinical features of patients infected with 2019 novel coronavirus in Wuhan, China. Lancet. 2020;395(10223):497–506.

[75] Xu Z, Shi H, Hou J, et al. Clinical course and risk factors for mortality of adult inpatients with COVID-19 in Wuhan, China: a retrospective, observational study. The Lancet. 2020;395(10250):1256–1262.

[76] Guan WJ, Ni ZY, Hu Y, et al. The Clinical Characteristics of Coronavirus Disease 2019 in China. NEJM. 2020;382(18):1708–1720.

[77] Chen N, Zhou M, Dong X, et al. Epidemiological and clinical characteristics of 99 cases of 2019 Novel Coronavirus pneumonia in Wuhan, China: a descriptive study. Lancet. 2020;395(10223):507–513.

[78] Xu Y, Xia Y, Wang X, et al. Early transformation of COVID-19 into critical illness: lessons from the first larger series in China. Intensive Care Medicine. 2020;46(3):521–527.

[79] Chen Z, Liang Y, Zheng J, et al. Age-related differences in clinical characteristics and prognosis of patients with confirmed COVID-19 infection. European Journal of Epidemiology. 2020;35(4):301–307.

[80] Fang L, Zhang Y, Chen Z, et al. Clinical characteristics and therapeutic failure of critically ill patients with COVID-19 pneumonia: A retrospective cohort study. Critical Care. 2020;24(1):206.

[81] Hu Y, Zou J, Luo Y, et al. Clinical features and treatments in 172 critically ill patients with COVID-19 in Wuhan. JAMA. 2020;323(15):1544–1549.

[82] Han XG, Dong X, Mi F, et al. Clinical and laboratory severity of COVID-19 among elderly patients in China. ERJ Open Research. 2020;6(2):00214-2020.

[83] Yang Y, Tang J, Yu X, et al. Clinical features and outcomes of 138 hospitalized patients with 2019 novel coronavirus-infected pneumonia in Wuhan, China. JAMA. 2020;323(13):1357–1366.

[84] Peng H, Xie B, Guo L, et al. Age, coexisting diseases, and comorbidities in hospitalized patients with COVID-19 in China. Annals of Internal Medicine. 2020;172(6):431–439.

[85] Liu Z, Wei M, Feng Y, et al. Characteristics and clinical outcome of the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2)-2019ncov pneumonia in children, infants and neonates. PLoS ONE. 2020;15(2):e0228378.

[86] Zheng S, Tian F, Cui X, et al. Clinical and virological characteristics of COVID-19 patients admitted to Jinyintan Hospital, Wuhan, China: a single-centered, retrospective, observational study. Lancet. 2020;395(10223):559–565.

[87] Li R, Qian Q, Pu N, et al. Clinical outcomes and risk factors for mortality of SARS-CoV2 pneumonia in Wuhan, China. JAMA. 2020;323(14):1442–1451.

[88] Xiong C, Lv R, Yang P, et al. Clinical characteristics and outcomes of critically ill patients with COVID-19 infection in Wuhan, China: a retrospective cohort study. The Lancet. 2020;395(10223):514–520.

[89] Zhang L, Wei Y, Zhao H, Liu H, Dai W. Clinical characteristics and risk factors for severe and critical conditions among 1590 patients with COVID-19: a retrospective cohort study. The Lancet. 2020;395(10233):979–981.

[90] Lu Y, Guo Y, Yuan Z, et al. Clinical course and risk factors for mortality of adult inpatients with COVID-19 in Wuhan, China: a retrospective cohort study. The Lancet Respiratory Medicine. 2020;8(4):385–395.

[91] Xu Y, Xia Y, Wang X, et al. Early transformation of COVID-19 into critical illness: lessons from the first larger series in China. Intensive Care Medicine. 2020;46(3):521–527.

[92] Chang Y-C, Chuang C-F, Wu H-C, et al. Clinical characteristics and predictors of 81 COVID-19 patients in Taiwan. ERJ Open Research. 2020;6(1):00078-2020.

[93] Wang J, Lai WM, Zheng D, et al. Factors associated with severity of SARS-CoV-2 infection in China: A single-center observational study. Expert Review of Anti-Infective Therapy. 2020;18(3):139–145.

[94] Chen G-q, Zhou F-f, Dong X-m, et al. Clinical characteristics of critically ill patients with 2019 novel coronavirus pneumonia in Zhejiang, China. China CDC weekly. 2020;6(2):2.

[95] Qiu P, Zhang D, Li H, et al. The clinical characteristics, transmission dynamics and epidemiology of an outbreak of Wuhan seafood market-associated pneumonia, Wuhan, China: a descriptive study. The Lancet. 2020;395(10223):533–542.

[96] He G, Bi X, Bo X, et al. Clinical course and risk factors for mortality of adult inpatients with COVID-19 in Wuhan, China: a retrospective cohort study. The Lancet. 2020;395(10223):533–542.

[97] Huang C-L, Wang X-J, Li X-P, Li X-H, Xia S-R, He J-L. Etiology, progress, and related risk factors of severe cases of COVID-19: Analysis of 133 patients in Wuhan, China. Journal of Medicine. 2020;98(11):814–820.

[98] Li Q, Guan W-J, Wu P, et al. Early transmission dynamics in Wuhan, China, of novo-coronavirus (2019-nCoV) infection. NEJM. 2020;382(13):1199–1207.

[99] Wölfel R, Narasimhan M, Starling S, et al. SARS-CoV-2 transmission potential and control: implications for operations on cruise ships. ERJ Open Research. 2020;6(2):00086-2020.

[100] Ding W, Cai R, Gao Y, et al. Comparison of demographic and clinical characteristics of COVID-19 patients in Hubei and other provinces in China. Archives of Medical Research. 2020;51(4):284–290.

[101] Yang L-L, Ruan S-J, Liu D-Q, et al. The clinical course and risk factors for mortality of adult inpatients with COVID-19 in Wuhan, China: a retrospective observational study. The Lancet. 2020;395(10233):970–978.

[102] Zhou P, Yang XL, Wang XG, et al. Clinical course and risk factors for mortality of adult inpatients with severe COVID-19 in Wuhan, China: a retrospective cohort study. The Lancet. 2020;395(10233):969–970.

[103] Zhao S, Li W, Zhou Z, et al. Clinical features of 1099 pediatric patients with COVID-19 in China: a multicenter study. The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health. 2020;4(4):e351–e354.

[104] Gandon S, Rochat R, Couturier V, et al. Protective effects of immune memory on COVID-19 immunity and complications. MedRxiv. 2020.

[105] van Boheemen S, Delpre B, Makkelen J, et al. SARS-CoV-2 antibodies induce no neutralization of virus infection in Vero E6 cells. Virological Discovery. 2020;7:e13–e20.

[106] Su Y, Tian Y, Lin L. A potential route of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibody escape via S1-S2 cleavage. Cell Reports Medicine. 2020;100168.

[107] Collins FS Jr, Vazquez A, Whitehair DL, Halperin SA. Novel Coronavirus: Human Biomonitoring Is Needed. ERJ Open Research. 2020;6(3):00008-2020.

[108] Kuipers MH, Verlooven MD, Luggen PM, Roorda AM, Mulder PG. Potential Metabolic and Endocrine Disorders Secondary to Oral Antiviral Therapy. MedRxiv. 2020.

[109] Lebovits S, Fauci AS, Stiegler T, Rovner B. Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19): Mollification of the Hippocratic Oath. JAMA. 2020;323(20):2081–2082.

[110] Roques BM, Landais PY, Yim KM, et al. SARS-CoV-2 spike protein RBD enables recognition by the antibody CR3022. Science. 2020;367(6495):eaay9142.

[111] O'Driscoll M-Z, Simon L, Crotty S. Disinhibition of immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 by regulatory T cells. JAMA Immunology. 2020;2020:1–3.

1. COVID-19 can potentially cause neurological symptoms such as headaches, confusion, impaired consciousness, seizures, and strokes, according to coronavirus data.
2. These neurological symptoms related to COVID-19 may lead to referrals for electroencephalography (EEG) testing, which measures the brain's electrical activity.
3. In a review of EEG test results from 617 patients, about 70% showed "diffuse slowing" in the background electrical activity, indicating potential long-term brain impacts from COVID-19.
4. Apart from the virus, factors like inflammation, low oxygen levels, and blood issues caused by the infection may also contribute to the observed brain damage in COVID-19 patients.

Read also: