Biologists from Britain and Switzerland studied on mice, as coronavirus penetrates into the brain and what kinds of damage causes. The results of the study were shed the light on the cause of the “brain fog” from the persistent Cove, writes RIA Novosti with reference to the Biorxiv scientific site.
People during the disease and after recovery often complain about “brain fog”, which is manifested in reducing the reaction, scattering, apathy, increased fatigue and drowsiness. Many have cognitive violations, memory problems, insomnia and anxiety.
The elderly, Coronavirus exacerbates Parkinson’s diseases and Alzheimer. But how coronavirus acts on the brain, still not fully studied. Scientists were used to study this influence of mice with HACE2 human receptor. Researchers have infected mice through the nose with small or high doses of coronavirus and moved to how it acts on the brain.
Seven days later, after this, the virus penetrates the brain through the olfactory bulb. At high doses, scientists noticed that the virus is more widely distributed in the head and spinal cord. This is exactly what causes loss of taste and smell, as well as strong head pains with a light form of Covid.
Several brain crust areas in its front part are responsible for memory and attention. Therefore, during infection, their work can be broken. The virus is distributed in several types of cells. At first he infects neurons. This does not lead to their death, but the virus causes the process of apoptosis of immune cells and microglia cells. In this case, none of them was infected with the virus directly.
“Neurons do not die, but they can contribute to the death of neighboring uninfected cells,” the scientists noted.