Comparing brain volume before and after individuals were exposed to Covid-19, this study documents significant cortical gray matter loss, equivalent to nearly 10 years of aging.
Loss of smell is a consistent clinical feature of Covid-19, with recent studies suggesting that 86% of individuals exposed to the virus may experience partial or complete loss of smell. A smaller percentage of people also develop additional neurological complications, including brain fog, fatigue, impaired cognitive function, and encephalography, characterized by impairments in brain structure and function.
From: “ A review on the neural bases of episodic odor memory: From laboratory-based to autobiographical approaches” Saive et al. 2014. Additional exploratory analyses found gray matter loss in the amygdala, the insula which borders the temporal cortex, and the front-most portion of the cingulate gyrus, known as the anterior cingulate gyrus. Interestingly, all these regions play a role in emotion processing and regulation. More research is needed to determine whether deficits in these brain regions may be linked to mood disorders associated with long-haul Covid-19, including depression and anxiety.
For a vast majority of people, the regenerative properties of the olfactory bulb restores the sense of smell within a few weeks or months. What about the rest of the brain? Damage to brain cells cannot be reversed. When tissues die, cerebrospinal fluid and other biomolecules fill the excess space to maintain the integrity of the brain. Perhaps, this explains why neurological complications associated with long-haul Covid-19 show little improvement over time.
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