 |
| © Reuters = News 1 |
As the number of cases in which the novel coronavirus infection (Corona 19) virus affects the central nervous system increases in the United States, we are studying whether it affects cognitive decline in the elderly and dementia such as Alzheimer’s disease in the future.
According to industry sources on the 8th, Gabriel Erauskin, a professor at the University of Texas at San Antonio Medical School and researchers at the Chicago Alzheimer’s Association, announced that through a recent joint study, a prospective study is needed to investigate the effect of Corona 19 on brain function.
In a report published in the international journal’Alzheimer’s and Dementia’ on the 5th (local time), the researchers pointed out that there is a possibility that Corona 19 may be linked to seizures and mental disorders, so a longer study is needed.
The researchers were able to access cases of patients who experienced noticeable neurological symptoms from the beginning of the spread of Corona 19. A typical symptom is loss of taste and sense of smell, which was found to persist well beyond the normal recovery point. The researchers said this suggests that the Corona 19 virus can cause immediate and lasting nerve damage, but to date, understanding of the type of disease or in which direction it will affect, remains unclear.
As a result of the analysis, the researchers discovered that COVID-19 virus infection could affect the nerves that carry information from the nose to the brain. In addition, the researchers found that among patients hospitalized for COVID-19 in the United States, many patients are discharged from the hospital with symptoms that can be presumed to be brain damage such as memory and mental dysfunction. Claimed to be able to.
Apart from the claims of the researchers, there is another study showing that Corona 19 can affect brain damage.
On December 30, a research team from the National Institute of Neurological Diseases and Stroke (NINDS) under the National Institutes of Health (NIH) published a study published in the overseas medical journal’New England Journal of Medicine’ (NEJM). And can cause damage and, although at a subtle level, can cause bleeding.
Researchers at NINDS say the phenomenon is similar to the phenomenon seen in small strokes.
In addition, according to a study by a research team at the University of Washington University School of Medicine, which was published in “Nature Neuroscience” on December 16, the corona 19 virus can pass through the cerebral vascular barrier (BBB), which causes the so-called brain It was reported that fog (mental hazy) appeared.
The BBB is a barrier that selectively penetrates substances that enter the brain from the blood. Although oxygen or water is permeable, it is difficult to treat when cancer has metastasized because it generally prevents bacteria or anticancer drugs from moving to the brain.
The researchers were concerned that these findings could make the brain more susceptible to further damage due to the various inflammation and vascular leaks seen in severe COVID-19 patients.
In addition, the researchers formed a joint research consortium involving experts from more than 25 countries, targeting COVID-19 patients 6, 9, and 18 months after discharge, and the impact of the corona 19 virus on the central nervous system and the relationship with old Alzheimer’s. I plan to study the relationship.
Meanwhile, in Korea, a number of aftereffects suffered by a professor at Pusan National University (Pusan 47 confirmed), who had been treated after being infected with Corona 19 in February, was disclosed through Facebook.
At the time, Professor Park also complained of the brain fog phenomenon. The sequelae that Professor Park experienced include △burning chest and stomach △brain fog △skin discoloration and dryness △chronic fatigue.