A group of researchers from the University of Liverpool, the Royal College of London, and the University of Cambridge joined forces under the Covid-Cns consortium and made a significant discovery. According to a report by Neuroscience News, they found that patients hospitalized with Covid-19 showed a decline in cognitive functions even 12-18 months after being discharged. The identified impairments were likened to brain aging by 20 years.
It is crucial to point out that these findings pertain to severe cases of the disease that necessitated hospitalization and may not be applicable to all individuals who contract the virus. Nevertheless, the results of cognitive testing, MRI brain scans, and blood tests provide compelling evidence that Covid-19 can have a significant impact on the brain and mental health long after the patient has recovered from respiratory symptoms.
Dr. Greta Wood from the University of Liverpool acknowledged that many patients reported experiencing a “fog in their heads” post-recovery. The nature of this phenomenon and its potential association with organic issues remain unclear.
To gain a deeper understanding, experts examined the condition of 351 patients who had been hospitalized with Covid-19, including those with and without evident neurological complications. A control group of 3,000 individuals who did not contract Covid-19 was also included for comparison.
Professor Benedict Michael, the lead author of the study, highlighted that Covid-19 goes beyond being just a respiratory disease. Cognitive impairments were observed in all subjects to varying extents, suggesting that the virus might impact nerve cells even in the absence of apparent neurological symptoms. Researchers also identified a correlation between cognitive deficits and elevated levels of biomarkers indicating brain cell damage in the blood. MRI scans revealed reduced volumes of certain brain regions in Covid-19 survivors.
Professor Jerome Brin from the Royal College of London stressed the importance of conducting long-term research to ascertain how patients recover and identify those at risk of deterioration. It is also essential to determine whether these consequences are specific to Covid-19 or common to other severe infections.
The scientific team continues to investigate both short-term and long-term neurological and cognitive outcomes of Covid-19 infection. Their goal is to uncover the biological processes underlying these impairments, including immune responses and genetic predispositions.