| Medical staff are moving Corona 19 patients at Seobuk Hospital in Eunpyeong-gu, Seoul on the 29th, when the number of new corona 19 confirmed once more rose to 300,000. [사진 제공 = 연합뉴스] |
A study has found that the symptoms of ‘brain fog’, which are said to be experienced by 1 in 4 confirmed COVID-19 patients following a full recovery, are similar to dementia.
The Washington Post (WP) reported on the 27th (local time) that Stanford University neuroscientist Dr.
Brain fog is a symptom in which a feeling of emptiness like a fog in the head continues, resulting in decreased concentration or memory, and depression. It is a side effect that is often experienced by people who have received mainly strong drug therapy or radiation therapy.
Michelle said brain fog is also found in Alzheimer’s patients. She found the same brain inflammation signals in patients who died of COVID-19 and in patients who developed symptoms of cognitive impairment due to COVID-19, which is what triggers brain fog.
The research team identified laboratory rats infected with COVID-19 and the autopsy tissues of nine people who died from COVID-19. They also studied 48 patients who experienced brain fog with long covid. As a result, it was confirmed that the brain white matter ‘Microglia’ changed in a similar pattern in all three groups.
Microglia play a role in protecting the brain by processing harmful substances found in the brain. However, it is known that excessive activation causes damage to brain nerve cells, worsening depression, and increasing the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, the cause of dementia.
According to the study, even COVID-19 patients who were severely ill or experienced only relatively mild symptoms showed changes in microglia.
Dr Michelle explained that these changes may not be able to precisely regulate the interactions between different cell types, and it is this neuroinflammation that is at the heart of the problem following cancer treatment.
Professor Andrew Marks of Columbia University in New York confirmed similar results. Brain autopsies of 10 patients aged 38 to 80 who died of COVID-19 revealed high levels of phosphorylated tau protein. Phosphorylated tau protein is known to cause Alzheimer’s disease.
“This is an unexpected and surprising discovery,” said Professor Andrew. “It can lead to disruption of the normal structure of the brain.”
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