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Even Mild COVID-19 Can Cause Structural and Functional Alterations in the Brain
Even mild COVID-19 can cause structural and functional alterations in the brain that may lead to neuropsychiatric disorders , such as anxiety , depression , fatigue and somnolence , as well as adverse effects on well-being , health and work capacity .
This is the conclusion of studies on COVID-19 presented at the 9th BRAINN Congress organized by the Brazilian Institute of Neuroscience and Neurotechnology ( BRAINN ), a Research , Innovation and Dissemination Center ( RIDC ), held in São Paulo , Brazil .
“ Before the pandemic , Brazil was already considered one of the most anxious countries in the world , with 9 % of the population reporting symptoms . Now we find higher levels of anxiety and depression in people who test positive for COVID-19 ,” said Clarissa Yasuda , a professor at UNICAMP ’ s Medical School ( FCM ) and a researcher affiliated with BRAINN .
One of the presentations at the conference reported the findings of an analysis of MRI scans performed three months after infection
3 and showing gray matter atrophy and cerebral hyperconnectivity in patients with long COVID .
The duration of these alterations and their significance from the biological standpoint are unknown , but the results suggest cognitive dysfunction , which the scientific literature shows to be highly affected by anxiety and depression , according to an article on the study published in a special supplement of the journal Neurology by Beatriz Amorim da Costa , an undergraduate at FCM-UNICAMP , and collaborators .
“ Our findings serve as an alert to the extent of the pandemic ’ s possible consequences ,” said Yasuda , last author of the article .
Gray matter atrophy appeared in MRI scans of the brains of patients infected by four different strains of SARS-CoV-2 ( alpha , delta , gamma and zeta ), according to Lucas Scárdua Silva in another article published in the same issue of Neurology . This study , which Yasuda also supervised , detected frontal lobe and limbic system gray matter atrophy in subjects infected by all four strains .