According to data updated by the Union Health Ministry this morning, there have been 14,092 new cases of COVID-19 in India in the last 24 hours. A total of 1,16,861 active cases have been reported in the last 24 hours, with a decrease of 2,403 cases. Additionally, 41 additional deaths have been reported, including 12 that have been accounted for by Kerala. The total death toll is 5,27,037 [1].
New research shows that SARS-COV-2 infects brain cells called astrocytes, causing structural changes in the brain. This infection can cause brain alterations and neurocognitive dysfunction.
This article will explore the impact of covid on the brain based on three recent studies.
How does COVID affect your brain? Important points
Study 1: NIH
A National Institutes of Health study describes the immune response triggered by the COVID-19 infection that damages blood vessels in the brain and can lead to short- or long-term neurological symptoms. [2]. Researchers examined brain changes in nine people who died suddenly after contracting the disease in a study published in Brain.
Scientists have found evidence that antibodies, proteins produced by the immune system in response to viruses and other invaders, attack and damage the cells that line the brain’s blood vessels.
Antibodies produced by COVID-19 could mistakenly target blood-brain barrier cells. A blood-brain barrier is made up of tightly packed endothelial cells, which prevent harmful substances from reaching the brain while allowing necessary substances to pass through. Blood proteins can leak out of the brain vessels if the endothelial cells are damaged. As a result, some patients with COVID-19 experience bleeding and clots that lead to strokes.
In the brains of patients with COVID-19, researchers observed deposits of immune complexes, which form when antibodies bind to antigens (foreign substances). These immune complexes can be harmful to tissues by causing inflammation.
Understanding how SARS-CoV-2 can cause brain damage may help develop therapies for COVID-19 patients with persistent neurological symptoms.
In addition, the study may help understand and treat long-term neurological symptoms associated with COVID-19, such as headaches, fatigue, loss of taste and smell, sleep disturbances, and brain fog. The researchers believe that the patients in the study would have developed Long COVID if they had survived.
Based on the results of this study, treatments designed to prevent the development of the immune complexes seen in the study may be useful in treating neurological symptoms after COVID.
Study 2: the proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS)
According to Daniel Martins-de-Souza and colleagues, magnetic resonance imaging was used to compare brain structure in 81 participants recovering from mild COVID-19 infection and 81 healthy individuals. According to the authors, the first group was associated with reduced cortical thickness, cognitive impairments, and symptoms of anxiety and depression. [3].
Using brain samples from 26 people who had died of COVID-19, the authors found that five of those people had tissue damage.
SARS-CoV-2 was also found to enter damaged brain samples through the NRP1 receptor on astrocytes and maintain neuronal metabolism.
More than 30 percent of patients with COVID-19 experience neurological symptoms as a result of COVID-19, making the study significant. As a result of this study, we present evidence that severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infects astrocytes and to a lesser extent neurons in the human brain.
Study 3: Houston Methodist Researchers
According to a new study by Houston Methodist researchers, COVID-19 infections can have both short- and long-term neurological effects. [4].
Infections with COVID-19 can predispose people to irreversible neurological conditions, increase the likelihood of stroke, and increase the risk of persistent brain injuries that can lead to brain hemorrhage.
The authors of this study have critically assessed the potential chronic neuropathological outcomes in aging and comorbid populations in the absence of timely therapeutic intervention.
The Houston Methodist review article looked at several serious long-term effects, including predispositions to Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and related neurodegenerative diseases, as well as cardiovascular disorders due to internal bleeding and blood clotting-induced injuries to the part of the brain that regulates it. our respiratory system, after the symptoms of COVID-19.
In addition, patients with COVID-19 are thought to have accelerated cellular aging [5].
On a final note…
In summary, the findings provide insight into the brain-damaging immune response following COVID-19 infection. However, it is not clear which antigen the immune response targets, as no virus was detected in the brain.
Furthermore, although growing evidence confirms that neuropsychiatric manifestations are primarily associated with severe COVID-19 infections, long-term neuropsychiatric dysfunction has been frequently observed after mild infections.
Researchers are currently investigating the effects of COVID-19 infection on various aspects of the central nervous system. Experts insist that getting vaccinated and maintaining proper hygiene are the best ways to prevent these harmful long-term effects.