More profoundly than previously believed, the virus that causes COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, can impact the brain for months after infection. The findings were presented at Neuroscience 2022, the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience and the world’s largest source of emerging news about brain science and health.
“Long COVID,” which includes the neurological fallout (a.k.a. sequelae) of a COVID-19 infection, can damage the central nervous system long after the acute symptoms of the virus have passed. Estimates report that one in five to one half of all adults are affected by at least one long COVID symptom, which includes ailments to mood and concentration. Scientists are still learning how the virus changes the brain, but it’s becoming increasingly clear that the long-term effects are wide-ranging across age groups.
Today’s new findings show that:
- Using fMRI imaging, scientists found that the sensorimotor brain regions of children who contracted COVID-19 months ago now showed a higher demand for resources. (Silvia Hidalgo-Tobon, UAM-Hospital Infantil de Mexico Federico Gomez)
- To mimic SARS-CoV-2’s impacts, scientists triggered inflammation in a mouse model via toll-like receptor (TLR) 7. Eight weeks later, they found hippocampal impairment in both sexes and decreased fear conditioning in males. (Natalie C. Tronson, University of Michigan)
- Scientists found that roughly one-fourth of adults who had mild COVID-19 four months prior were left with deficits in their visuoconstructive abilities. (Marco Aurelio Romano-Silva, Universidade Federal De Minas Gerais)
This isn’t the first time that a flu-like viral infection has been linked to an increased risk for dementia. But one of the most important aspects of this work is the magnitude of people potentially affected by this -; millions upon millions.”
Robyn Klein, The Robert E. and Louise F. Dunn Distinguished Professor of Medical Sciences, director of the Center for Neuroimmunology & Neuroinfectious Diseases, professor of medicine, pathology & immunology, and neurosciences at Washington University School of Medicine, and moderator
“We need to move on to alternative hypotheses for these neurologic diseases; we also need to inform the public and physicians that this is a real illness and that they should be proactive in addressing it.”
This research was supported by national funding agencies including the National Institutes of Health and private funding organizations. Find out more about COVID-19 and cognitive functioning on BrainFacts.org.
News
Omicron subvariant BA.2 replicates faster in brain cells than other strains, study finds
Omicron subvariant BA.2 – which was dominant worldwide early this year, including in Hong Kong – replicates more swiftly than other strains and causes faster programmed cell death in human brains, a new study has found. [...]
Seeding the oceans with iron-rich fertilizer nanoparticles to store excess carbon dioxide
The urgent need to remove excess carbon dioxide from Earth’s environment could include enlisting some of our planet’s smallest inhabitants, according to an international research team led by Michael Hochella of the Department of [...]
Temporary graphene ‘tattoos’ that measure blood pressure
Blood pressure is a key vital sign that provides insight into our cardiovascular health. But blood pressure is typically measured only a few times per year by a clinician—and these measurements might not always [...]
Next Covid-19 Strain May be More Dangerous, Lab Study Shows
A South African laboratory study using Covid-19 samples from an immunosupressed individual over six months showed that the virus evolved to become more pathogenic, indicating that a new variant could cause worse illness than [...]
The Fast-Spreading New COVID-19 Subvariant XBB Is Part of a ‘New Class’ of Omicron
For the past several months, Omicron subvariants BA.4 and BA.5 have dominated COVID-19 cases in the U.S. But now, there’s a class of new COVID subvariants on the rise and one in particular is getting plenty of [...]
Overcoming challenges in the delivery of nucleic acid therapeutics
Nucleic acid therapies involving DNA or RNA have significant potential to treat genetic disorders, infectious diseases, and cancer; however, research suggests that less than 1% of injected nucleic acid doses reach target cells in [...]
FDA approves $3.5 million treatment for hemophilia, now the most expensive drug in the world
The US Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday approved Hemgenix, a new drug to treat hemophilia. Manufacturer CSL Behring set the price at $3.5 million per treatment, making it the most expensive drug [...]
Wireless smart bandage promotes faster closure of wounds, enhances skin recovery
Some wounds just won’t heal. Infections, diseases like diabetes, and suppressed immune systems often stack up to slow healing. Chronic wounds can last months and lead to anxiety and depression. In the worst cases, [...]
Using Nanofibers to Guide the Development of Novel Biomaterials
Over the years, researchers have tried hard to comprehend topographic signals that promote cell mechanical sensitive responses. The extracellular matrix (ECM) provides a complex cellular microenvironment that controls cellular behavior. Nevertheless, only a few [...]
Measles now an imminent global threat due to pandemic, say WHO and CDC
There is now an imminent threat of measles spreading in various regions globally, as COVID-19 led to a steady decline in vaccination coverage and weakened surveillance of the disease, the World Health Organization (WHO) [...]
Covid-19: Brain scans show new evidence of what could be causing long Covid
In a recent study, it was shown that people with long Covid have had physical changes to their brains several months after experiencing the initial infection. The study included MRIs of patients who continued [...]
Western University is building Canada’s secret weapon against the next pandemic
Western University in London, Ont., is building a unique research lab to study humanity's greatest viral threats — a secret weapon, if you will, one that it's expected would put Canada and the world in a better position if [...]
Cancer patients test world’s first ‘computer-designed’ antibodies, made in Israel
Cancer patients are testing a medicine made of antibodies that were designed from scratch on a computer in Israel and whose inventor has “programmed” them to “decide” whether cells surrounding tumors are bad or good. [...]
Corrosion-Resistant Superhydrophobic Graphene-Based Coatings on Copper Substrate
In an article published in the journal Scientific Reports, researchers presented the potentiostatic deposition used to electrodeposit nickel (Ni) and nickel-graphene (Ni-G) films on copper substrates. Myristic acid (MA) was employed to alter the plane of the [...]
A chip to replace animal testing
New drugs made from nanoparticles that can easily penetrate any interface within our bodies are a great hope in medicine. For such hopefuls to reach the market, their safety must be ensured. In this [...]
Researchers develop new, heat-efficient nanoparticles for treating cancer
Oregon State University scientists have invented a way to make magnetic nanoparticles that get hotter than any previous nanoparticle, improving their cancer fighting ability. Faculty from the OSU College of Pharmacy spearheaded a collaboration [...]
