April 19, 2021
TORONTO — Does COVID-19 impact the brain? The answer is both yes and no, according to a new study which suggests the virus likely doesn’t infect the brain itself.
The study, conducted by specialists at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons and published in the journal Brain on Thursday, found that while the patients examined did not have significant traces of the virus in their brain cells, they still sustained neurological damage from the virus.
“We were unable to find any signs of virus inside brain cells of more than 40 COVID-19 patients,” James E. Goldman, professor at Columbia University and lead author of the study, said in a press release.
“At the same time, we observed many pathological changes in these brains, which could explain why severely ill patients experience confusion and delirium and other serious neurological effects–and why those with mild cases may experience ‘brain fog’ for weeks and months.”