Found out why COVID-19 patients have “brain fog”
British and Swiss biologists, using the example of mice, understood how coronavirus affects the brain and what disorders it leads to. The discovery made it possible to explain the reason for the “brain fog”, reports 360 with reference to bioRxiv.
The term “brain fog” is considered to be a condition in which apathy, absent-mindedness, fatigue, memory problems, and insomnia occur.
To study in detail how the coronavirus entered the brain, scientists infected mice with low or high doses of SARS-CoV-2. It turned out that seven days later, the virus entered the brain through the olfactory bulb. At high doses, the infection was more actively introduced into the brain and spinal cord. This is what explains the loss of taste and smell, as well as the severe headaches characteristic of a mild form of the disease.
The front of the brain has several areas of the cortex that are responsible for memory and attention. Coronavirus infection leads to disruption of their work.
It is noted that the virus initially attacks neurons, but this does not lead to their death. However, apoptosis of microglial cells and immune cells is triggered. It is a regulated process of programmed cell death. In addition, infected neurons can lead to the death of neighboring uninfected cells.
People who have recovered from the coronavirus face not only cognitive impairments, but also neurological consequences: from decreased sensitivity to depression.
