Long COVID and Brain Fog

A selection of key publications and reviews on this topic will be included here.

 Long COVID: major findings, mechanisms and recommendations. 

The paper discusses brain fog as a symptom of Long COVID and notes that cognitive impairment occurs at similar rates in hospitalized and non-hospitalized patients. The paper also cites a report of more than 1.3 million people who had COVID-19, which showed that mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression returned to normal over time, but increased risks of cognitive impairment (brain fog), seizures, dementia, psychosis, and other neurocognitive conditions persisted for at least 2 years. The paper suggests that possible mechanisms for these neuropathologies include neuroinflammation, damage to blood vessels by coagulopathy and endothelial dysfunction, and injury to neurons. 

Davis HE, McCorkell L, Vogel JM, Topol EJ. Long COVID: major findings, mechanisms and recommendations. Nat Rev Microbiol. 2023 Mar;21(3):133-146. doi: 10.1038/s41579-022-00846-2. Epub 2023 Jan 13. Erratum in: Nat Rev Microbiol. 2023 Jun;21(6):408. PMID: 36639608; PMCID: PMC9839201.  

Erratum in: Nat Rev Microbiol. 2023 Jun;21(6):408. PMID: 36639608; PMCID: PMC9839201.

Long COVID Now Looks like a Neurological Disease, Helping Doctors to Focus Treatments

The causes of long COVID, which disables millions, may come together in the brain and nervous system.  

The Scientific American paper discusses brain fog as one of the most challenging symptoms of long COVID. It explains that brain fog is a catchall term for a range of cognitive problems that make it difficult for people to function. The article also notes that brain fog is not unique to long COVID and can occur in other illnesses, such as Lyme disease and chronic fatigue syndrome. The paper suggests that brain fog may be caused by inflammation in the brain, which can be triggered by the immune system's response to the virus. However, more research is needed to fully understand the underlying mechanisms of brain fog in long COVID.

By Stephani Sutherland on March 1, 2023

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/long-covid-now-looks-like-a-neurological-disease-helping-doctors-to-focus-treatments1/

Further discussion.

 If someone is experiencing persistent or troubling symptoms of long COVID and brain fog, it's crucial to seek medical advice to determine the underlying cause and initiate appropriate treatment. 

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