• Scientists crack the code of how Covid triggers brain fog

    OffBeat
    Scientists crack the code of how Covid triggers brain fog
    It has now been determined by researchers at the University of Illinois Chicago what mechanism leads to this neurological disorder.........



    Digital desk: As scientists work to comprehend the virus's numerous long-term consequences, the coronavirus pandemic is still having an impact on the world today. 

    One example is brain fog, a disorder that causes cognitive problems like memory loss and learning difficulties. It results in a state of mental disarray, haziness, or trouble focusing. It can appear as generalized cognitive sluggishness, difficulty focusing, forgetfulness, and difficulty recalling information.

    Following the late 2019 appearance of the new coronavirus SARS-CoV2, a patient-reported illness known as Long-COVID emerged as a persistent symptom of acute infection.

    It has now been determined by researchers at the University of Illinois Chicago what mechanism leads to this neurological disorder. The results are based on a study conducted on mice infected with the Covid-19 virus, SARS-CoV-2. 

    To better understand risk factors for cognitive impairment in older individuals infected with COVID-19, the research team concentrated on studying older mice. They monitored the mice's minor illnesses in particular. The majority of COVID-19 cases in humans now after immunization are caused by mild infections as opposed to serious ones.

    This research suggests enhancing the blood-brain barrier's integrity may help to avoid Covid-19-related problems. A key takeaway from the COVID-19 pandemic is that organs, including the brain, can be severely impacted by even little infections.

    Up to 200 symptoms of long-term COVID-19 have been described to date, although most patients report persistent symptoms like exhaustion, dyspnea, difficulty understanding and remembering things, and discomfort in the joints and muscles. Even though the great majority of COVID-19 patients recover completely, any of these symptoms that persist for longer than 12 weeks after infection may qualify as Long COVID. 

    Long COVID has now grown to be a significant public health concern since the pandemic's 2020 onset. Although incidence rates differ between countries, up to 10% of people infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus are thought to be affected. Less than half of these Long-COVID patients report neurological side effects that persist, such as weariness, brain fog, and cognitive loss. 

    The integrity of the blood arteries in the brains of patients with Long COVID and brain fog was disrupted, according to research published by the Trinity team in the prestigious international journal Nature Neuroscience. Patients with cognitive deterioration and brain fog might be objectively distinguished from those who were not due to this blood vessel "leakiness".

    A considerable reduction in a signaling pathway known as Wnt/beta-catenin, which supports the integrity of the blood-brain barrier and shields the brain from harm, was discovered by researchers examining blood vessels from the brains of sick mice to identify which genes were most changed.