Is there a wave of neurological consequences in the world that could result COVID-19? This question is at the forefront of ongoing research at the Florida Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health. A team of neuroscientists and clinicians is investigating the possible link between COVID-19 and the increased risk of Parkinson’s disease and steps to move forward.
“Yet scientists are still learning how SARS-CoV-2 While the virus is capable of invading the brain and the central nervous system, the fact that it is there is obvious. Our best understanding is that the virus can insult brain cells, from which there is a possibility of neurodegeneration, ”said Kevin Burnham, a professor at the Florida Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health.
In a review paper published on September 22, 2020, researchers drew attention to the potential long-term neurological consequences of COVID-19, calling it a ‘soil wave’. They are urging immediate action to provide more accurate diagnostic tools for the identification of neurodegeneration for people infected with the Saras-Covi-2 virus.
Researchers say that neurological symptoms in people infected with the virus are common, ranging from brain hypoxia (lack of oxygen) to loss of odor.
“We found that an average of three out of four people infected with the SARS-Cavi-2 virus have an average odor loss. While on the surface this symptom may appear as less of a cause for concern, it does say a lot about what is really going on inside, and that is that there is a sharp inflammation in the olfactory system responsible for the odor, ”explained Flori researcher Leah Butch.
Inflammation is understood to play a major role in the pathogenesis of neurogenetic disease and Parkinson’s is specifically studied. Further research into these diseases could be crucial for the future effects of SARS-Cavi-2.
“We believe that odor loss introduces a new way to detect someone’s risk of developing Parkinson’s disease early. “Equipped with the knowledge that about 90% of people in the early stages of Parkinson’s disease and decades before the onset of motor symptoms, represent odor loss, we feel we are on the right track,” Mrs Bouch added.
The clinical diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease currently depends on the presentation of motor dysfunction, but research shows that by this time the brain has lost 50-70% of dopamine cells.
“By waiting at this stage for the diagnosis and treatment of Parkinson’s disease, you have missed the window for their specific effect on neuroprotective therapy. “We are talking about an insidious disease affecting 20,000,000 people in Australia, which is set to double by 2040, considering the potential consequences of covid, and we do not currently have a cure,” said Professor Barnham. Professor Barnham said.
Researchers hope to establish a simpler, cost-effective screening protocol aimed at identifying people in the community at risk of developing Parkinson’s or those in the early stages of the disease, while treatment is most likely to prevent motor onset. Trouble. They plan to put forward a proposal to obtain funding from the Australian Government’s Medical Research Future Funding Plan.
In addition, the team is currently developing two neuroprotective therapies under investigation and has identified a set of topics that are ideally suited for the study of treatment. Through their research they found new evidence that people with REM sleep behavior disorder are more prone to developing Parkinson’s disease.
Parkinson’s disease is a significant economic burden that is costing the Australian Australian economy more than 10 10 billion a year.
“We need to change the community by thinking that Parkinson’s is not a disease of old age. As we have been hearing time and time again, the coronavirus does not discriminate – and neither does Parkinson’s, “said Professor Barnham.
“We can understand the neurological consequences of the Spanish flu epidemic in 1918, where the risk of developing Parkinson’s disease increased two to three times. Given that the world population has been re-affected by viral epidemics, it is very worrying considering the potential global increase in neurological diseases that could develop a track. “
He added, “The world became a protector for the first time, but it doesn’t have to be again. We now know what needs to be done. Along with a strategic public health approach, tools for early diagnosis and better treatment will also be key. “
Reference: “Parkinsonism as the third wave of COVID-19 epidemic?” By Bouchmp, Leah C .; Finklestein, David I .; Bush, Ashley I.; Evans, Andrew H. and Barnham, Kevin J., 22 September 2020. Journal of Parkinson’s Disease.
DOI: 10.3233 / JPD-202211
