Preliminary data from a study conducted at the State University of Campinas (Unicamp) suggests that COVID-19 – even in mild cases – can alter the functional connectivity pattern of the brain, causing a kind of “short circuit” in the organ.
The conclusions are based on functional magnetic resonance imaging (with rest sequence) performed on 86 volunteers who had already been cured of the infection for at least two months. The results were compared with those of 125 individuals who did not have the disease and served as controls.
“In the normal brain, certain areas are synchronized during an activity, while others are at rest. In the case of these individuals who had COVID-19, we noticed a severe loss of specificity in brain networks. Everything is connected at the same time and this probably leads the brain to spend more energy and work less efficiently”, says Clarissa Yasuda, professor at the Faculty of Medical Sciences (FCM-Unicamp) and member of the Institute for Research on Neurosciences and Neurotechnology ( BRAINN), a FAPESP Research, Innovation and Dissemination Center (CEPID).
The data – not yet published – were presented by Yasuda this Wednesday (27/01), during the 7th BRAINN Congress. The study is still ongoing and the group intends to include more participants. The idea is to monitor the brain developments of SARS-CoV-2 infection for at least three years.
According to Yasuda, it is not yet known how the virus causes this change in brain connectivity, but there are some hypotheses to be investigated. “It is possible that the infection damages part of the neural networks and, to compensate for the signal failure, the brain activates other networks simultaneously. This hyperconnectivity may also be an attempt by the brain to reestablish communication in the affected areas”, says the researcher.
Another hypothesis to be studied by the Unicamp group is whether this state of brain dysfunction is related to some of the late symptoms of COVID-19 reported by several patients, such as fatigue, daytime drowsiness and changes in memory and concentration.
“We intend to compare the brain functioning of patients who present these late symptoms with that of people who were cured of the disease and remained symptom-free. If this relationship between hyperconnectivity and persistent neuropsychological symptoms is confirmed, we will be able to think about drugs and other treatments capable of alleviating the condition”, he tells Agência FAPESP.
Full article published on the Agência Fapesp website.
Those interested in participating in the study can contact the Unicamp group. All individuals who have had COVID-19, even without residual complaints, are eligible.
