COVID-19 May Accelerate Brain Aging, Increase Neurological Risk
The consequences of COVID-19 infection appear to include a predisposition to irreversible neurological conditions, an increased likelihood of stroke, and the potential for chronic brain lesions that can lead to microbleeds, according to a review study published in Ageing Research Reviews.
Corresponding authors Joy Mitra, PhD, and Muralidhar L. Hegde, PhD, of the Houston Methodist Research Institute, and coauthors reviewed emerging evidence of the effect of SARS-CoV-2 on the central nervous system.
“[P]rognostic investigations suggest that both acute and long-term neurological complications, including predisposition to irreversible neurodegenerative diseases, can be a serious concern for COVID-19 survivors,” they wrote, “especially the elderly population.”
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In COVID-19 patients and survivors, brain imaging studies have identified microbleed lesions in deep brain regions associated with cognitive and memory functions. Microbleeds are frequently found in people with chronic stress, depressive disorders, diabetes, and age-associated comorbidities. In the review, the authors report that COVID-19-induced microhemorrhagic lesions may exacerbate DNA damage in affected brain cells, resulting in neuronal senescence and activation of cell death mechanisms, ultimately impacting brain microstructure-vasculature.
Although up to 30% of patients report lingering “brain fog” after COVID-19, more severe long-term effects can include predispositions for Alzheimer disease, Parkinson disease, and related neurodegenerative diseases, as well as cardiovascular disorders from internal bleeding and blood clotting-induced lesions in the part of the brain that regulates the respiratory system.
Additionally, cellular aging is believed to be accelerated. As numerous cellular stresses inhibit virus-infected cells from undergoing their normal biological functions, the cells enter into “hibernation mode” or die completely, according to the research team.
“[C]areful medical and clinical follow-ups should be performed to diagnose early symptoms of neuropathological, neuropsychiatric, and/or cardiovascular dysfunctions to prevent patients from developing irreversible motor/cognitive impairments and cardiovascular disorders,” the authors advised.
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