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Review
. 2023 Jun:149:105150.
doi: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105150. Epub 2023 Mar 31.

Brain disorders: Impact of mild SARS-CoV-2 may shrink several parts of the brain

Puranam Revanth Kumar  1 , B Shilpa  2 , Rajesh Kumar Jha  2
Affiliations
Review

Brain disorders: Impact of mild SARS-CoV-2 may shrink several parts of the brain

Puranam Revanth Kumar et al. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2023 Jun.

Abstract

Coronavirus (COVID-19) is a highly infectious respiratory infection discovered in Wuhan, China, in December 2019. As a result of the pandemic, several individuals have experienced life-threatening diseases, the loss of loved ones, lockdowns, isolation, an increase in unemployment, and household conflict. Moreover, COVID-19 may cause direct brain injury via encephalopathy. The long-term impacts of this virus on mental health and brain function need to be analysed by researchers in the coming years. This article aims to describe the prolonged neurological clinical consequences related to brain changes in people with mild COVID-19 infection. When compared to a control group, people those who tested positive for COVID-19 had more brain shrinkage, grey matter shrinkage, and tissue damage. The damage occurs predominantly in areas of the brain that are associated with odour, ambiguity, strokes, reduced attention, headaches, sensory abnormalities, depression, and mental abilities for few months after the first infection. Therefore, in patients after a severe clinical condition of COVID-19, a deepening of persistent neurological signs is necessary.

Keywords: Brain shrinks; Functional connectivity; Gray matter; Neurological disorders; SARS-CoV-2.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest The authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
SARS-CoV2 Structure.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
A reduction in cortex thickness after COVID-19.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Represents the dynamic clinical timeline and dynamics of microstructural changes in Coronavirus Disease-19 (COVID-19) encephalopathy.
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
An overview of the symptoms, putative pathophysiology, associated risk factors, and potential treatments involved in long COVID. Figure adapted from (Yong, 2021)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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