Covid-19 can cause changes in the brain, such as shrinkage and atrophy, according to research by British scientists, who found significant differences in MRI scans of patients before and after coronavirus infection. It is the first large study to compare the brains of patients before and after Covid-19 disease.
Even after a mild mindfulness, the total volume of the brain often shows a slight shrinkage, with less gray matter especially in the areas of the cerebral cortex related to smell and memory. It is not yet clear whether these changes are permanent or reversible – at least in part – over time.
The researchers, led by Oxford University professor of neuroimaging Gwenell Duo and published in the journal Nature, studied the brains of 785 people aged 51 to 81, of whom 401 people averaged 4.5 months later. from their diagnosis with Covid-19 (mild in 96% of cases, while 4% had been hospitalized), as well as 384 people without coronavirus (the control group for comparison).
It was found that the total brain volume had shrunk from 0.2% to 2% in those who had taken Covid-19. Among other things, they had lost an extra 0.8% of their cerebellum, an organ vital for cognitive functions, resulting in their greater impairment.
Indicatively, those who had recently recovered had more difficulty performing complex mental tasks than those who had never passed Covid-19, as the relevant tests showed. Something that was more noticeable to the elderly and those who had previously needed hospitalization due to the coronavirus, but it affected – albeit to a lesser extent – even those who had a mild illness. The effect on the brain due to Covid-19 was in addition to that which can occur anyway due to advanced age in a human (the elderly lose about 0.2% to 0.3% of their gray matter in the area each year of memory).
“However, we have to keep in mind that the brain is really ‘plastic’, in the sense that it can heal itself, so there is a good chance that over time the harmful effects of the infection will subside,” said Dr. Duo.
The most significant brain loss occurs in the olfactory regions, but it is not clear whether this is because the coronavirus attacks directly in this brain region or if the effect is indirect due to the wider inflammation of the nervous system due to infection or, finally, whether These brain cells simply die because they are not used for a long time due to the loss of smell and / or taste caused by Covid-19.
It is also unclear whether all variants of the virus cause the same damage to the brain, as the number of patients who report a loss of smell and taste has declined dramatically internationally since the introduction of Omicron, compared to the original Chinese strain or variant. ‘Alpha. Furthermore, the scientists pointed out that any changes in cognitive function are generally invisible, while they do not need to be observed in all Covid-19 patients.
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