UK-based researchers have analyzed data from the UK biobank and have found that COVID-19 survivors may suffer from a loss of grey matter and other brain tissue over time. Brain areas responsible for smell, taste, cognitive function, and memory formation were identified to be affected after studying pre and post-COVID brain image tests. Researchers found strong evidence for viral neurotropism causing brain-related pathologies in COVID-19. However, the research only suggested such effects in severe patients, while the impact of COVID-19 in milder cases is not yet evident.
Researchers analyzed brain image tests from 40,000 participants before the COVID-19 pandemic. Later, 782 participants were invited for a second imaging visit in 2021. Out of these patients, 394 participants had tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 infection between their two scans. Pre and post-COVID-19 brain scans were…
