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SARS-CoV-2 enters the brain through the olfactory nerve and can alter the centers responsible for vital functions.
The coronavirus can enter the brain through the olfactory mucosa and then infect various parts of the nervous system. The results of a study by German scientists explain neurological symptoms in COVID-19 patients. Correspondent.net says the details.
How the coronavirus affects the brain
SARS-CoV-2 not only affects the lungs, but also causes neurological problems: one in three patients complain of loss of smell and taste, headache, fatigue and nausea. It was previously reported that the reason for this could be the penetration of the virus into the brain, but how the virus enters the brain has not been studied in detail.
Scientists at the Humboldt University of Berlin have shown that the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus can enter the brain through the olfactory nerve, causing direct damage to the central nervous system and dangerous neurological symptoms.
The pathogen can also infect the respiratory and cardiovascular control center in the brainstem, according to a study article published in the journal Natural Neuroscience.
Researchers have demonstrated the presence of viral RNA in various areas of the nasopharynx and brain of COVID-19 patients. This confirms that SARS-CoV-2 is capable of penetrating the central nervous system.
The olfactory nerve runs from the nasal mucosa into the cranial cavity, where it passes to the olfactory bulb, then to the olfactory tract, and then to the olfactory analyzer in the cerebral cortex. Thus, having penetrated the cells of the nerve, the virus can go up to the brain and enter its different parts.
Once inside the olfactory mucosa, the virus appears to use neuroanatomical connections, such as the olfactory nerve, to reach the brain, says study leader Frank Heppner.
However, the mechanism by which they enter the brain has yet to be studied in more detail.
The work of the German scientists is based on the autopsy of 33 patients who died in the university hospitals of Göttingen and Berlin.
For the first time, electron microscopy images reveal complete viral particles in the olfactory mucosa, located at the top of the nasal passages, which contains nerve cells and connects the nose to the brain.
The study findings may also explain the strokes that occur in some severe cases, as the researchers found traces of the virus in blood vessels in the brain.
Additionally, by entering the brain, the coronavirus can cause delusional conditions seen in some COVID-19 patients. However, this may be due to a lack of oxygen caused by lung damage.
Severely ill patients, after recovery, have been previously reported to complain of memory loss, inability to concentrate for prolonged periods, and head confusion.
A study published in the journal Schizophrenia Research is a review of the medical literature on pandemics and psychosis. He says that mental problems may be associated not only with the influence of the coronavirus itself, but also due to steroid treatment.
In this case, the coronavirus affects the psyche and indirectly. In the fall of 2020, the demand for psychotherapist services in Ukraine increased by a third compared to the same period last year.
Ukrainians began to grapple with increased anxiety, decreased mood, fears that arose in connection with the quarantine restrictions introduced as part of the fight against the coronavirus.
Above all, isolation and loneliness often lead to anxiety disorders, depression and insomnia, according to a study published in the scientific journal Lancet Psychiatry. More on this in the material How a pandemic affects the psyche.
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