COVID-19 affects the cognitive state of the brain. Especially for critically ill patients, it is very unfriendly. It will cause short-term memory loss, difficulty concentrating, difficulty remembering words and brain fog long covid, etc., and disrupt the normal distribution of oxygen and nutrients to brain regions that need it.

In a healthy brain, neurons get their oxygen and nutrients from the network of blood vessels that cover the brain. This relationship is called neurovascular coupling (NVC). Relies on a complex dynamic signaling system in which nerve cells request what they need, when they need it.

A COVID infection disrupts this dynamic. Many areas in the brain stop performing their functions. This is called neurovascular coupling dysfunction. As a result, patients experience a host of physical and cognitive symptoms, including headaches, brain fog, sleep problems, difficulty following conversations, difficulty multitasking, and more.

One of the main areas affected by the virus is the hippocampus. This region may be particularly vulnerable to dysfunction in neurovascular coupling because it relies on adult neurogenesis, the process by which the adult brain produces new brain cells. This mechanism cannot continue without a constant supply of resources, which may be disrupted by neurovascular coupling dysfunction.

As mentioned in the article How Long Will Symptoms Of Brain Fog Last After Being Infected With Covid-19?, researchers don't think this process serves any purpose, but recent evidence suggests that adult neurogenesis is particularly important for forming recurrent but distinct short-term memories, such as yours today Where you put your car keys instead of where you left them yesterday.

Mild cases of COVID may cause these changes in brain tissue as the virus disrupts normal NVC in the hippocampus and surrounding areas. In turn, this may block the process of neurogenesis and lead to brain shrinkage and progressive cognitive decline and short-term memory loss. The same tissue damage can be detected in elderly patients and those with neurodegenerative disease or traumatic brain injury.

NVC is likely not the only factor in these brain abnormalities.

Other possible contributors include:

Inflammation: In some patients, COVID-19 triggers a severe immune response through an overactive immune response. Cytokines are released in small amounts under normal conditions and are part of a controlled response to infection. However, a cytokine storm involves an excessive and uncontrolled inflammatory response throughout the body, including the brain. Researchers know that cytokines have profound effects on working memory and attention, which may explain some of the study's results. In addition, for example, inflammation of the vasculature or lungs can lead to secondary neurological dysfunction.

Viruses directly infect brain cells: Direct infection is possible, but the route of entry for the virus to reach the brain is currently unknown. Since anosmia is a common symptom during COVID infection, the virus may reach the brain through the olfactory mucosa in the nasal cavity. Oddly, one of the brain regions that the virus can reach is the cerebellum, which is involved in a variety of cognitive functions, which may explain why some patients have difficulty completing cognitive tests after infection.

Is brain damage from mild COVID reversible or irreversible?

In Smith et al. The study showed that the interval between the initial SARS-CoV-2 infection and the second round of imaging was less than six months. This time period is insufficient to determine whether gray matter loss and other cognitive deficits persist and develop into long-term COVID or reverse back to normal.

Cognitive changes caused by the virus can last a long time. Elderly people in Wuhan, China, still showed signs of cognitive impairment 12 months after infection, a report found. In contrast, their spouses, who were not infected with the virus and served as a control group, did not show the same symptoms.

Since the abnormal changes are associated with loss of smell, it is possible that once patients regain their sense of smell, they also regain cognitive function. One study found that although patients continued to experience some cognitive difficulties six months after infection, neurological and cognitive function had improved significantly since their illness.

LongCovidCareCenter is clinically proven that many Long COVID symptoms can be reversed with treatment. This is because neurovascular coupling dysfunction and many of the conditions associated with it, such as vision problems, are reversible. If you are suffering from post covid brain fog, contact us now to get long covid brain fog treatment to recover as soon as possible.