People suffering from debilitating symptoms of prolonged Covid have unique changes in their brains that make it harder to think and speak, scientists have discovered.
A new study showed that they have fewer protective proteins in the brain and higher levels of inflammation, both linked to dementia.
Patients with prolonged Covid also perform worse on language tests—such as finding the right word or understanding words—which can be a sign of mental fog.
The study suggests for the first time that brain damage, and not just an overactive immune system, is the main cause of prolonged Covid symptoms.
Although it only involved 17 people, researchers plan to conduct larger studies to better understand the cause of this condition.
Key findings:
Patients with prolonged Covid had 33% less nerve growth factor (NGF) in the brain, a protein that helps maintain nerve cells.
Low levels of NGF are linked to diseases such as Alzheimer's and multiple sclerosis.
They also had 50% more interleukin 10, a protein that regulates inflammation.
At very high levels, this protein can cause increased inflammation in the central nervous system.
90% of patients with prolonged Covid had increased signs of inflammation, compared to only one in 7 healthy participants.
On language processing tests, patients with prolonged Covid performed 30% worse, suggesting that inflammation also affects language centers in the brain.
They were also 75% more likely to experience reduced quality of life and 61% more general pain or discomfort.
What does this mean?
These findings suggest that prolonged Covid is caused by increased inflammation in the brain and a decrease in proteins that protect nerve cells. This inflammation can damage areas of the brain that control:
Language and speech
Information processing
pain
Emotions and depression
What do the experts recommend?
Dr. Michael Lawrence, neuropsychologist and lead author of the study, said:
"This is the first controlled study to show clear neurocognitive changes in patients with prolonged Covid, corroborating the symptoms they experienced."
He adds that supportive therapies, such as:
Speech therapy,
Psychotherapy for stress reduction,
Or medications that target fatigue and mental fog,
...can help build an effective treatment plan.
Dr. Judith Arnetz from Michigan State University added:
"Although it is a small study, it could help doctors more quickly identify at-risk patients and provide them with comprehensive care."
Additional information:
Prolonged Covid is a condition with numerous and varied symptoms, including fatigue, difficulty breathing, mental fog, anxiety, body aches, and more.
About 17 million Americans are believed to suffer from this condition.
Diagnosis is difficult due to the variety of symptoms.
In conclusion, this study sheds light on the biological mechanisms of prolonged Covid, offering hope to millions of people facing this condition for which there was previously little knowledge and effective treatment. /Express newspaper/
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