tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
BMC Med
. 2024 Jun 20;22(1):257.
doi: 10.1186/s12916-024-03481-1. EEG signatures of cognitive decline after mild SARS-CoV-2 infection: an age-dependent study
Yike Sun[SUP] #[/SUP][SUP] 1 [/SUP], Jingnan Sun[SUP] #[/SUP][SUP] 1 [/SUP], Xiaogang Chen[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Yijun Wang[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Xiaorong Gao[SUP] 4 [/SUP]
Affiliations
Background: Current research on the neurological impact of SARS-CoV-2 primarily focuses on the elderly or severely ill individuals. This study aims to explore the diverse neurological consequences of SARS-CoV-2 infection, with a particular focus on mildly affected children and adolescents.
Methods: A cohort study was conducted to collect pre- and post-infection resting-state electroencephalogram (EEG) data from 185 participants and 181 structured questionnaires of long-term symptoms across four distinct age groups. The goal was to comprehensively evaluate the impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection on these different age demographics. The study analyzed EEG changes of SARS-CoV-2 by potential biomarkers across age groups using both spatial and temporal approaches.
Results: Spatial analysis indicated that children and adolescents exhibit smaller changes in brain network and microstate patterns post-infection, implying a milder cognitive impact. Sequential linear analyses showed that SARS-CoV-2 infection is associated with a marked rise in low-complexity, synchronized neural activity within low-frequency EEG bands. This is evidenced by a significant increase in Hjorth activity within the theta band and Hjorth mobility in the delta band. Sequential nonlinear analysis indicated a significant reduction in the Hurst exponent across all age groups, pointing to increased chaos and complexity within the cognitive system following infection. Furthermore, linear regression analysis based on questionnaires established a significant positive relationship between the magnitude of changes in these neural indicators and the persistence of long-term symptoms post-infection.
Conclusions: The findings underscore the enduring neurological impacts of SARS-CoV-2 infection, marked by cognitive decline and increased EEG disarray. Although children and adolescents experienced milder effects, cognitive decline and heightened low-frequency electrical activity were evident. These observations might contribute to understanding potential anxiety, insomnia, and neurodevelopmental implications.
Keywords: Cognitive impact; EEG; Long COVID; Mild illness; SARS-CoV-2.
. 2024 Jun 20;22(1):257.
doi: 10.1186/s12916-024-03481-1. EEG signatures of cognitive decline after mild SARS-CoV-2 infection: an age-dependent study
Yike Sun[SUP] #[/SUP][SUP] 1 [/SUP], Jingnan Sun[SUP] #[/SUP][SUP] 1 [/SUP], Xiaogang Chen[SUP] 2 [/SUP], Yijun Wang[SUP] 3 [/SUP], Xiaorong Gao[SUP] 4 [/SUP]
Affiliations
- PMID: 38902696
- DOI: 10.1186/s12916-024-03481-1
Background: Current research on the neurological impact of SARS-CoV-2 primarily focuses on the elderly or severely ill individuals. This study aims to explore the diverse neurological consequences of SARS-CoV-2 infection, with a particular focus on mildly affected children and adolescents.
Methods: A cohort study was conducted to collect pre- and post-infection resting-state electroencephalogram (EEG) data from 185 participants and 181 structured questionnaires of long-term symptoms across four distinct age groups. The goal was to comprehensively evaluate the impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection on these different age demographics. The study analyzed EEG changes of SARS-CoV-2 by potential biomarkers across age groups using both spatial and temporal approaches.
Results: Spatial analysis indicated that children and adolescents exhibit smaller changes in brain network and microstate patterns post-infection, implying a milder cognitive impact. Sequential linear analyses showed that SARS-CoV-2 infection is associated with a marked rise in low-complexity, synchronized neural activity within low-frequency EEG bands. This is evidenced by a significant increase in Hjorth activity within the theta band and Hjorth mobility in the delta band. Sequential nonlinear analysis indicated a significant reduction in the Hurst exponent across all age groups, pointing to increased chaos and complexity within the cognitive system following infection. Furthermore, linear regression analysis based on questionnaires established a significant positive relationship between the magnitude of changes in these neural indicators and the persistence of long-term symptoms post-infection.
Conclusions: The findings underscore the enduring neurological impacts of SARS-CoV-2 infection, marked by cognitive decline and increased EEG disarray. Although children and adolescents experienced milder effects, cognitive decline and heightened low-frequency electrical activity were evident. These observations might contribute to understanding potential anxiety, insomnia, and neurodevelopmental implications.
Keywords: Cognitive impact; EEG; Long COVID; Mild illness; SARS-CoV-2.