A new study has revealed that some form of brain injury could be the reason behind long covid symptoms. The team of researchers analysed the 203 patients hospitalised with COVID-19 or its associated symptoms, and compared the results with 60 people without the infection.
The researchers noticed elevated levels of four brain injury biomarkers which is a key signs of biological change among those infected with COVID-19.
Surprisingly, two of those signs of brain injury persisted into the recovery phase. This suggest that they continue even after the COVID-19 infection has gone. According to a report by Science Alert, levels of these two biomarkers were even higher for people who also experienced neurological complications with COVID-19.
“Our study shows that markers of brain injury are present in the blood months after COVID-19, and particularly in those who have had a COVID-19-induced brain complication,” says neuroscientist Benedict Michael from the University of Liverpool in the UK, as quoted by Science Alert.
According to Michael, this suggests the possibility of ongoing inflammation and injury inside the brain itself which may not be detected by blood tests for inflammation.
According to the researchers, these brain complications associated with COVID-19 have ranged from mild (headaches) to potentially life-threatening (seizures, stroke, and encephalitis). Earlier studies have revealed that the consequences can be long-lasting.
It’s now well-established that COVID-19 plays some role in impacting the nervous system, and in some cases this impact can continue for an extended period. Now this new study shows that the effects can be similar to brain injuries.
“The clinical characteristics of our participant cohorts, and the elevation in brain injury markers, provide evidence of both acute and ongoing neurological injury,” write the researchers in their published paper.
The research has been published in Nature Communications.
