Long covid neurological symptoms study finds patients with the condition have lower levels of some immune cells
In a new study published in the journal Neurology: neuroimmunology and neuroinflammationResearchers have studied the neurological symptoms affecting patients with long covid. Among them, the group highlighted fatigue, sleep disorders and the famous and feared mental fog.
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Brain fog manifests itself as difficulty remembering recent events, making up names or words, staying focused, problems storing and handling information, and slow processing. In previous studies, scientists have already pointed out what the condition is associated with deregulation of the immune system and the central nervous system.
In that new paper, the researchers used an approach called deep phenotyping to closely examine the clinical and biological characteristics of long-term covid. In all, the study looked at 12 people who had persistent neurological symptoms after a SARS-CoV-2 infection. These patients revealed differences in their immune cell profiles.
Participants underwent clinical exams, questionnaires, advanced brain imaging, blood tests, and cerebrospinal fluid (a fluid that fills the brain).
Through the analysis it was possible to discover that people with long-term covid have lower levels of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, immune cells that coordinate the immune system’s response to viruses. These patients also had increased numbers of B cells and other types of immune cells. In practice, this suggests that immune dysregulation may play a role in this condition.
According to the study, people with long-term covid also had problems with the autonomic nervous system, which controls unconscious bodily functions such as breathing, heart rate and blood pressure.
The patients also showed abnormalities in heart rate and blood pressure control. However, the same researchers acknowledge that more research is needed to determine whether these changes are related to fatigue, cognitive difficulties and other persistent symptoms.
Previously, a study pointed this out neurological symptoms persist in 67% of people with long covid. Other researches have even claimed that too cases of mild covid can deregulate neural cells.
Source: Neurology: neuroimmunology and neuroinflammation through Science blog
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