How Does Coronavirus Affect the Brain?

 


COVID has had a major influence around the world, but the breakneck pace of research, including vaccine development, has been astounding to watch. It has resulted in some incredible accomplishments. We now have a far better grasp of the acute and long-term implications of SARS-CoV-2 infection in neurology than we did a year ago. In terms of brain disorders, it is now clear that COVID is linked to an increased risk of encephalopathy, encephalitis, ischemic, hemorrhagic, and venous strokes, as well as a subsequent diagnosis of dementia, albeit the latter could be related to the discovery of the pre-existing cognitive loss. It's now becoming obvious that neurological complications are far more likely after SARS-CoV-2 infection than after vaccination.

Psychiatric manifestations such as anxiety and sadness are more common following SARS-CoV-2 infection, and the symptoms of so-called 'long COVID' are a specific worry that has yet to be clearly defined. One of the most intriguing questions that have arisen concerns the mechanics causing the disease's many brain presentations. Of course, SARS-CoV-2 will most certainly damage the brain in a variety of ways, including the psychological effects of the sickness and its systemic effects. However, there is a lot of curiosity about whether the virus has any direct impact on the brain.

The presence of punctate white matter alterations, suggestive of microvascular injury, in some patients with COVID has been a frequent topic in imaging studies. COVID-19, on the other hand, can cause neurological and mental problems like psychosis, agitation, and stroke. People with pre-existing mental, neurological, or substance-abusing illnesses are also more prone to SARS-CoV-2 infection, and they may face a higher risk of severe consequences, including death.

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