Increasing clinical evidence suggests that the SARS-CoV-2 virus can actively penetrate and destroy the brain. It would seem that the brain is safe in the event of a coronavirus infection, because it is located in a special protection zone provided by the so-called the blood-brain barrier. Nothing could be more wrong – writes for MedTvoiLokona neurosurgeon Dr. Sebastian Dzierzęcki, MD, PhD. This is another article from our series “The Doctor’s Eye”.
- Loss of smell and taste is just the tip of the iceberg of neurological disorders that coronavirus can cause – explains the expert
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COVID-19 and the brain
According to scientists from Nature Neurocience, the main building protein of the COVID-19 coronavirus called S (spike) allows the virus to freely cross the blood-brain barrier. This coincides with observations of huge groups of patients who have contracted the coronavirus (at the time of writing, over 87 million cases have been reported worldwide) and presented not only respiratory problems but also a variety of neurological disorders.
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Obviously, the basic and best-known symptom of neurological damage is the popular olfactory and taste disorders, which have become almost pathognomonic for SARS-CoV-2 infection. Unfortunately, this is only the tip of the iceberg as more and more doctors are alerting about the risk of symptoms such as memory impairment, hallucinations, drowsiness or life-threatening ischemic strokes. Why is this happening?
- See also: How does COVID-19 affect the brain? The study of convalescents surprised the scientists
Most likely, it is related to the function of the S protein, which, after detaching from the virus particle, induces inflammation in the area, which is responsible for direct damage to neurons, white matter and small blood vessels. The latter is particularly poignant, as it may consequently lead to a full-blown ischemic stroke or intracranial hemorrhage..
As research suggests, COVID-19 may most likely stay in the brain for a long time (even several years), which in turn may mean that the real social costs associated with the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic will be incurred for many years, especially when we include the observed complications psychiatric disorders.
Fortunately, the scale of the phenomenon is not large – according to the latest studies, the percentage of neurological complications of infection should not be higher than 0,04%. However, on a global scale, it means that such complications may occur in over 30 people. people with a history of COVID-19 infection. An interesting observation is the more frequent occurrence of such symptoms in men.
A specialist in neurosurgery. Since 2011, it has been strictly dedicated to Gamma Knife stereotactic radiosurgery, in which he shows special clinical interest in the field of functional neurosurgery and irradiation of tumors with difficult intracranial locations. Experience gained at the Gamma Knife Center in Warsaw under the supervision of prof. dr hab. n.med. Mirosława Ząbek is one of the largest in the country and abroad. He completed numerous trainings and internships abroad, among others at the military hospital “Na Homolce” in Prague (Czech Republic), the Department of Radioneurosurgery ETZ Elisabeth in Tilburg (the Netherlands) and at the Haddasah Hospital Ein Karem in Israel. He is the author or co-author of books, publications and conference presentations in the field of neurosurgery.
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