Severe cases of COVID-19 can injure the brain in ways that affect memory, thinking and mood for months after the infection is gone, new research hints. It may even raise the risk of Alzheimer s.
Could COVID-19 Increase Your Risk of Dementia?
A new global study of more than 40,000 coronavirus patients aims to find out
by Michelle Crouch, AARP, January 5, 2021 |
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En español | One of the most mysterious and frightening consequences of COVID-19 is its impact on the brain.
Over 80 percent of hospitalized COVID-19 patients have neurological symptoms, a Northwestern Medicine health system study found. Even patients who have mild cases of COVID-19 have reported memory loss, trouble focusing and other related problems that can last for months.
Now, some scientists say there is compelling evidence that the negative effects of the virus could last even longer, possibly creating a surge of cases of dementia and cognitive decline years down the road.
Study finds new evidence of SARS-CoV-2 damaging brain blood vessels
Written by Jocelyn Solis-Moreira on January 6, 2021 Fact checked by Alexandra Sanfins, Ph.D.
Scientists have found no trace of SARS-CoV-2 in the brains of people with the infection. However, they have observed blood vessel damage caused by the body’s inflammatory response in the post-mortem brains of patients who tested positive for the virus, which suggests the virus may indirectly attack the organ.
Image credit: Science Photo Library – ZEPHYR/Getty Images
All data and statistics are based on publicly available data at the time of publication. Some information may be out of date.
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The music icon later took to Instagram, thanking fans for their kinds words, saying he’s doing great and getting excellent care from his medical team at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, Calif.
Following the news, some may be wondering: What is a brain aneurysm?
Read on for a breakdown of the potentially life-threatening occurrence.
First, what is a brain aneurysm?
Simply put, a brain aneurysm is a weak or thin spot on an artery in the brain that balloons or bulges out and fills with blood, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
Credit: NIH/NINDS
Analysis from a workshop convened by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) in 2017 reveals gaps in and opportunities for research to improve understanding of the effects of traumatic brain injury (TBI) in women. A new paper in the
Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation summarizes and updates the findings presented during the Understanding Traumatic Brain Injury in Women workshop and provides strategies for advancing research efforts in this area. NINDS is part of the National Institutes of Health. We are making advances in understanding the effects of head injury on the brain, but many of these studies have been done in males, said Patrick Bellgowan, Ph.D., program director at NINDS. There is evidence that traumatic brain injury affects women differently, but we need focused research efforts to get a full understanding of those differences to help improve prevention and treatment strategies.