What is happening in the brain?

Report on new coronavirus infection Effects on the central nervous system (CNS) began early in the pandemic and evidence has accumulated since then.

People who have had a more serious new coronavirus infection, hypoxiathe need for ventilation, and psychological trauma increase the risk of lasting psychological effects or cognitive impairment.

However, anyone infected with the new coronavirus infection greater risk They have fewer neurological or psychiatric symptoms after their initial illness than people who have never been infected with SARS-CoV-2.

Some symptoms, such as mood and anxiety disorders, increase for a short period of time after infection, but then return to baseline levels. However, some people continue for much longer. And one of his is Brain Fog. In recent research, scientific report It is found in 89% of people with long-term coronavirus infection.

In this study, 89% of participants reported fatigue and 77% reported difficulty concentrating. When researchers evaluated them using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment, they found that 46% had mild cognitive impairment.

Often the result of inflammation, concussion, hormonal changes, or medication, among other things, forgetfulness This is one of the most common symptoms reported by long-term COVID-19 patients.

People with brain fog may have problems with memory, concentration, thinking, and understanding, and often feel stressed and tired.

Professor Stephen Griffina virologist at Leeds University Medical School and co-chair of the independent SAGE. Today's medical news:

“Symptoms vary, but the main problems include difficulty remembering names, places, and events, and difficulty handling complex tasks, staying focused for long periods of time, and multitasking. This is something that cannot be done in general.”

“In some cases, general alertness can also be affected, which, combined with the extreme fatigue that many people experience, can cause extreme weakness in terms of social interactions and functioning at school or work. “There is,” he added.

research from e-clinical medicineA study investigating the lasting effects of COVID-19 recorded brain fog, cognitive impairment and memory impairment in 85.1% of respondents. And nearly 90% of working people report that brain fog has impaired their ability to work to some extent.

Research suggests the following potential causes of brain fog during COVID-19:

• Virus persistence in tissue reservoirs
• Dysregulated immune response
• mitochondrial dysfunction
• Inflammation of blood vessels (endothelium) and/or nerves
• microbiome dysbiosis.

One theory is that SARS-CoV-2 could cross the globe. blood brain barrier (BBB) It directly affects cells in the CNS, but this is just not yet established. proven in vitroin isolated cells.

In this study, two mutant forms of SARS-CoV-2, the original wild type and Omicronwere best able to induce cellular stress and damage components of the BBB.

but, Dr.Giovanni ScifittoA professor of neurology at the University of Rochester Medical Center in New York believes that the cause of the prolonged coronavirus infection is likely multifactorial.

“The physical presence of SARS-CoV-2 in the brain, particularly in the chronic phase, is unlikely to be the cause. However, if the virus persists throughout the body, a more chronic systemic inflammatory state may result, leading to multiple organ failure. “It can cause it,” he said.

There is more support for the suggestion that brain fog in long-term COVID-19 infections may be due to immune dysfunction and inflammation.

In one recent study, nature communicationsfound that levels of four brain injury biomarkers were elevated in people infected with COVID-19, two of which persisted long after the initial infection, particularly in patients who experienced neurological complications during acute infection. It was shown that

The authors of this study suggest that these abnormal immune responses may be driving ongoing inflammation. And inflammation can cause brain fog.

They believe that if they can understand why these immune responses are triggered, they can develop treatments that target them.

Whether the effects are due to viral invasion or immune dysfunction, studies have found that SARS-CoV-2 infection can cause changes in the brain.

Research — Published in Nature March 2022 — using data from UK Biobank They compared brain scans performed on people before and after they became infected with COVID-19.

People with a history of SARS-CoV-2 infection had decreased gray matter thickness, markers of tissue damage in the olfactory area, changes in brain volume, and slightly decreased cognitive performance compared with those without a history of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Professor Griffin explained:

“Like many problems with long-term coronavirus, brain fog is likely a combination of persistent infection with SARS-CoV-2.” [as reported in a new study published in 2023] Concomitant or subsequent changes in host immunity/metabolism. Alarmingly, brain changes, including gray matter loss, have been observed even in patients without necessarily having neurological symptoms. ”

Research reported in natural neuroscience,used Dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) results in people with long-term COVID-19 infection, regardless of whether they reported brain fog, support these findings. The researchers found that the group with brain fog not only had significantly increased BBB permeability, but also decreased overall brain volume and white matter volume.

The researchers suggested that “prolonged COVID-19-induced brain fog is associated with BBB disruption and sustained systemic inflammation,” adding, “Data show that BBB disruption is associated with acute infection and long-term This suggests that this occurs during COVID-19 infection and is strongly associated with cognitive impairment.”

general advice deal with brain fogfor any reason whatsoever, including:

• Eat a healthy diet that includes plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables and avoids processed foods.
• do regular exercise
• maintain good sleep hygiene
• Manage stress.

Dr. Shifit advised:

“The general principles are to avoid deconditioning and maintain daily physical activity, but [this] You need to adjust it to an acceptable range. Watch out for mental fatigue and spread out intellectual work throughout her day. Maintain social connections, as depressive symptoms are often present as well. ”

And Professor Griffin said people with long-lasting coronavirus brain fog should “make sure to pace yourself when experiencing this or any other long-lasting coronavirus symptom. Please,” he warned. Excessive effort can make the situation worse. ”

He suggested that leveraging technology and setting reminders and alarms could help people cope with lingering coronavirus-induced brain fog and fatigue.

As is becoming increasingly clear, like many other viral diseases, the coronavirus can have an impact beyond the initial infection, and research is only just beginning to understand why.

Of course, avoiding infection is the best way to avoid long-term effects; increase the evidence Vaccination and antiviral treatment during the early stages of infection are thought to reduce the risk of prolonged COVID-19 infection.

However, Professor Griffin is frustrated that measures are not being taken to prevent infection and combat the long-term effects of COVID-19.

“As with many aspects of SARS-CoV-2 infection, [brain fog] It does not always appear during acute illness and tends to be overlooked. To me, this is another reason why Western governments are reluctant to curb the spread of this virus. […] It’s mind-bogglingly negligent,” he told us.

“A record number of people are already unemployed due to chronic illness, and many are struggling with the disease.Furthermore, cognitive impairment on this scale is reducing productivity across the population. '' Professor Griffin said.

“Adding brain fog to the already alarming list of long-term problems caused by the coronavirus is what will happen to those exposed to multiple infections of this virus, including our children. “It must make us question whether we are allowing this to happen,” he stressed.