COVID Brain Fog? What Is It? What Can I Do About It?

Growing recognition exists that coronaviruses and other respiratory viruses can invade the brain and spinal cord (Desfordes, Coupanec, Dubeau, et al, 2020). While we are at an early stage of evolving understanding, the impact of COVID-19 on the brain may take several forms, via direct infection or autoimmune response. The presence of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in patients' cerebrospinal fluid has been reported, suggestive of direct infection (Hai-Yang Wang et al, 2020). All coronaviruses require a specific receptor as the cell entry to bind to cell membranes. SAR-CoV-2 has a particularly strong affinity for ACE2 (Natolli et al, 2020). It has been suggested that ACES is expressed in the nasal cavity and olfactory tissue in the early infection site. According to this hypothesis, the nasal route of direct brain infection with SARS-CoV-2 is as follows: Nasal cavity > olfactory nerve > olfactory bulb > piriform cortex and brainstem (DeSantis, 2020)  Furthermore, it has been suggested that ACE2 is expressed in multiple brain structures, including (a) brainstem, (b) cortex, (c) striatum, and (d) hypothalamus. Since ACE2 is present in the brain, it is not inconceivable that SARS-CoV-2 can directly attack the brain. A similar virus, SARS-CoV, is capable of infecting the brain directly, particularly the brainstem (LI, Bai, & Hashikawa, 2020). Current studies suggest that neurological complications in COVID-19 are associated with relatively greater disease severity (Whittaker et al., 2020). Neuroimaging findings have been evident across countries, including France, the UK, Turkey, China, Spain, and the United States. Due to its worldwide distribution, COVID-19 poses a global threat to the entire nervous system. COVID can also lead to secondary medical conditions, such as stroke, anoxia, and encephalopathy, all of which are known to cause persistent neurocognitive difficulties. Finally, the psychiatric impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is greater in psychiatric patients than in healthy controls, including increased levels of anxiety, stress, depression, and insomnia (Hao et al, 2020). High levels of cognitive and psychosocial impairment in the post-acute recovery stage of COVID-19 patients can be expected. Many will require long-term rehabilitation and innovative approaches. Four years ago, ReNeu Brain Center started to provide personalized treatments for each patient's needs. If you have been diagnosed with COVID-19 and continue to experience cognitive symptoms, ReNeu Brain Center is here to support you. Everyone can regain, retain, and renew their best life.