Experts warn that coronavirus may cause “waves” of neurological conditions, including Parkinson’s disease

COVID-19 can cause worrying neurological symptoms such as loss of smell and taste, but Australian scientists say that the damage the virus causes to the brain can lead to more serious conditions such as Parkinson’s disease. Warns that there is.

It happened before.

Five years after the Spanish influenza pandemic in the early 1900s, the incidence of Parkinson’s disease has tripled.

Kevin Burnham of the Flory Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health said he believed that a similar “wave of silence” of neurological disorders would follow this pandemic.

“Parkinson’s disease is a complex disease, but one of the causes is inflammation, and the virus helps promote that inflammation,” he said.

“When inflammation enters the brain, it begins a series of events that can eventually lead to Parkinson’s disease.

In a study published today in the Journal of Parkinson’s Disease, researchers outlined concerns...

This process is known as the “two-hit hypothesis.”

The brain becomes inflamed from something like a virus, then something comes in and causes more damage, eventually leading to Parkinson’s disease.

“Evidence already suggests that the virus is the trigger for Parkinson’s disease,” said Professor Burnham.

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Medical experts said it was too early to know how many people with COVID-19 would develop the disease.

“I think the risks are real,” said Professor Burnham.

“I can’t give you a number, but with 30 million people worldwide infected with the virus, any change in the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease will lead to more people being diagnosed.

“We know that COVID-19 has short-term effects, but we do more about the potential for long-term effects.”

The director of the Cognitive Aging Laboratory at the University of Adelaide and Lindsey Collinsplano said it is not always certain that everyone with COVID-19 will develop Parkinson’s disease.

She said researchers need a better understanding of how people with COVID-19 are more likely to develop the disease in the future.

“We need to know what it looks like and how symptoms change and evolve over time,” said Dr. Collins Plano.

“We need to understand how to handle the virus itself, but given the number of people who may find themselves in the camp, survivors may face it. You need to understand the challenges.

Smell test screening to pick up early signs of illness

In people with Parkinson’s disease, problems such as loss of smell appear 10 years before physical symptoms appear.

Researchers at the Flory Institute are working on an odor test screening tool that can be deployed to anyone over the age of 50.

It measures your ability to properly smell and test the function of other parts of the brain, and the results may indicate early signs of Parkinson’s disease.

Dr. Collins Plano said early diagnosis can lead to early intervention and stop the death of brain cells.

“Can be detected early [the damage], It increases the chances of creating a truly effective and meaningful treatment for the individual. “

Six million people worldwide suffer from Parkinson’s disease, and this number is expected to double over the next 20 years.

“When added to it the quiet waves from COVID, their numbers will explode, which will have serious social and economic consequences,” said Professor Burnham.

Leah Boshan, a scientist at the Flory Institute and co-author of the paper published today, said she had the opportunity to prepare.

“We weren’t ready last time — more than 100 years ago. We have the tools and we can move on,” she said.

Parkinson’s “We had nothing to think about”

An early diagnosis would have helped a Melbourne woman, Sina Bottrel.

One of the first signs that something was wrong was when a friend noticed that he was limping while on the go during a regular walk.

“I already had a shoulder problem, but I wasn’t too worried,” said Ms. Botrel.

“But my friends always went to me and went to see the doctor.”

Botrel, 47, who was seen by a neurologist, was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 2011.

“It was a shock. We had nothing to think about,” she said.

Mr. Botrel said she might have done something else if she had been previously diagnosed.

“I’m happy to have mild symptoms, but for those with tremor, early detection and early initiation of good treatment would be much better,” she said.

The doctor advised Mr. Botrel not to let the illness take over her life and her thoughts.

“I tried to get over my life and get out of the way,” she said.

The Flory Institute has applied to the Federal Medical Research Future Fund for a grant to move on to the next phase of testing odor screening tools.