Get vaccinated quickly! Study: Severe COVID-19 patients suffer from "cognitive impairment" equivalent to "20 years of aging" in the brain
Although the Omicron epidemic in Taiwan mostly affects people with mild symptoms, the related brain sequelae caused by infection may still have serious consequences for those diagnosed. Previous research published in “Nature” has clearly pointed out that even mild symptoms may cause “hypoxia” in the brains of infected people, causing damage to the central nervous system and energy decline.
Now, a study published in “eClinical Medicine” shows that severe or hospitalized patients with COVID-19 are significantly associated with severe cognitive decline, which is equivalent to a 10-point drop in IQ and 20 years of brain function decline.
People with severe COVID-19 symptoms are more likely to suffer from “cognitive impairment”, which is equivalent to “20 years of brain degeneration”, according to research
The Imperial College London research team conducted a data survey on 46 critically ill/hospitalized patients and completed a series of cognitive tests 6 months before the onset of the disease. Comparing 46 subjects with 460 people diagnosed with mild symptoms, it was found that about 36%-76% of the subjects showed more significant deficiencies in specific areas, including information processing speed and attention, an average of 6 months after the onset of the disease. strength, memory, reasoning and planning abilities.
The research team further compared the cognitive performance of critically ill/hospitalized patients with more than 66,000 normal undiagnosed people and found that their brain decline was equivalent to a “pause of 20 years”, and their average IQ index dropped by about 10 points. The team also found that the performance of cognitive function tests was significantly related to the severity of acute illness. For example, cognitive deficits were more obvious in patients who required mechanical breathing assistance.
The research team pointed out that by scanning the brain MRI images of the subjects, it can be seen that the brains of severely ill patients have the following symptoms: a significant reduction in gray matter in the lateral box frontal cortex, increased tissue damage in different areas of the brain, and comprehensive brain damage. shrink. In addition, the “olfactory nucleus”, the structure in the patient’s brain that dominates the sense of smell, also suffered considerable damage.
Cognitive impairment was relieved after half a year. Experts revealed that “two major mechanisms” may be the main cause
David Menon, PhD in anesthesiology at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom and study author, said that the cognitive deficits of the subjects in the study gradually improved after an average of 6-10 months after onset, and cognitive performance also gradually improved. “Since cognitive deficits persist in patients, it is necessary to understand the mechanisms behind these symptoms.”
Menon pointed out that the research team proposed two possible mechanisms. For example, the new coronavirus directly infects the brain and interrupts the blood supply to the brain, which may be one of the reasons for affecting brain operation and reducing cognitive function. In addition, systemic inflammation caused by the virus may also be the main cause of cognitive impairment in severely ill patients. Therefore, relevant units not only have to invest more medical resources in critically ill patients, but also the issue of post-recovery care will become a major concern.
“Most of the severely ill patients are patients with chronic diseases, immune deficiencies, or have not been vaccinated. Even a ‘breakthrough infection’ caused by vaccination may cause a certain probability of brain fog; without vaccine protection, the virus can directly It invades the brain and the degree of cognitive decline is unimaginable,” Menon said.
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