LONDON: A preliminary study of patients hospitalised with COVID-19 has found the disease can damage the brain, causing complications such as stroke, inflammation, psychosis and dementia-like symptoms in some severe cases.
Researchers said the findings are the first detailed look at a range of neurological complications of COVID-19, and underline a need for larger studies to find mechanisms behind them and assist the search for treatments.
“This is an important snapshot of the brain-related complications of COVID-19 in hospitalised patients. It is critically important that we continue to collect this information to really understand this virus fully,” Sarah Pett, a University College London professor who co-led the work told a news agency.
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The study was published in the Lancet Psychiatry journal and looked in detail at 125 cases from across the UK. The data was collected between April 2 and April 26 when the disease was spreading exponentially in the UK.
The most common brain complication seen was stroke, which was reported in 77 of 125 patients. Of these, most were in patients over 60, and most were caused by a blood clot in the brain, known as an ischaemic stroke.
The study also found that 39 of the 125 patients showed signs of confusion or changes in behaviour reflecting an altered mental state. Of these, nine had unspecified brain dysfunction, known as encephalopathy, and seven had inflammation of the brain or encephalitis.
Benedict Michael, who co-lead the research said it was important to note that it focused on severe cases. He said the findings were an important early step towards defining COVID-19’s effect on the brain. He said they need detailed studies now to understand the possible biological mechanisms and explore potential treatments.
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