A research study released in the Journal of Alzheimers Disease Reports reveals that infection with SARS-CoV-2 substantially affects cognitive function in patients with preexisting dementia, triggering quickly progressive dementia. Researchers examined 14 patients with different types of dementia and discovered that following COVID-19 infection, the distinctions in between dementia subtypes became blurred, and cognitive deterioration progressed quickly., five with vascular dementia, 3 with Parkinsons illness dementia, and 2 with the behavioral variant of frontotemporal dementia), who had actually suffered further cognitive degeneration following COVID-19.
A research study released in the Journal of Alzheimers Disease Reports exposes that infection with SARS-CoV-2 significantly affects cognitive function in clients with preexisting dementia, triggering rapidly progressive dementia. Researchers investigated 14 patients with various kinds of dementia and found that following COVID-19 infection, the differences in between dementia subtypes ended up being blurred, and cognitive deterioration progressed rapidly. Cortical atrophy and inflammation-related white matter strength modifications in the brain were observed, showing that jeopardized brains have limited defense versus new insults like infections or dysregulated immune actions.
All subtypes of dementia, regardless of patients previous dementia types, behaved like rapidly progressive dementia following COVID-19, according to the Journal of Alzheimers Disease Reports
Infection with SARS-CoV-2 has a substantial impact on cognitive function in clients with preexisting dementia, according to new research, published in the Journal of Alzheimers Disease Reports Patients with all subtypes of dementia included in the research study experienced quickly progressive dementia following infection with SARS-CoV-2.
Considering that the very first wave of COVID-19, neurologists have observed both long-lasting and severe neurological syndromes and neuropsychiatric sequelae of this transmittable illness. Insights into the impact of COVID-19 on human cognition has so far stayed unclear, with neurologists referring to “brain fog.” A group of researchers driven to acquire a better understanding of and dissipate this fog examined the results of COVID-19 on cognitive problems in 14 patients with preexisting dementia (four with Alzheimers illness [AD], five with vascular dementia, three with Parkinsons disease dementia, and two with the behavioral version of frontotemporal dementia), who had suffered even more cognitive deterioration following COVID-19.
Co-investigator Ritwik Ghosh, MD, Department of General Medicine, Burdwan Medical College and Hospital, Burdwan, West Bengal, India, revealed his concern about dementia subtyping. Few clients with a history of COVID-19 without preexisting dementia have phenotypically and imaging-wise comparable brain modifications mimicking other degenerative and vascular dementias.”
” Brain fog” is an unclear terms without particular attribution to the spectrum of post-COVID-19 cognitive sequelae. Based on the progression of cognitive deficits and the association with white matter intensity modifications, the authors propose a new term: “FADE-IN MEMORY.” Credit: Journal of Alzheimer Disease Reports.
Lead investigators Souvik Dubey, MD, DM, from the Department of Neuromedicine, Bangur Institute of Neurosciences (BIN), Kolkata, West Bengal, India, and Julián Benito-León, MD, PhD, from the Department of Neurology, University Hospital “12 de Octubre,” Madrid, Spain, explained: “We hypothesized there must have been some negative effect of COVID-19 in patients with preexisting dementia extrapolating our understanding from the cognitive effect of this viral infection in patients without dementia. However, post-COVID-19 examination of cognitive problems in patients with preexisting dementia is tough due to multiple confounders and biases.”
In addition to finding that all subtypes of dementia, regardless of clients previous dementia types, behaved like quickly progressive dementia following COVID-19, the team of private investigators discovered that the line of separation in between different kinds of dementia ended up being remarkably blurry post-COVID-19.
Co-investigator Ritwik Ghosh, MD, Department of General Medicine, Burdwan Medical College and Hospital, Burdwan, West Bengal, India, expressed his concern about dementia subtyping. “It is harder in the post-COVID-19 era, where the history of this viral infection plays the most important role. Couple of patients with a history of COVID-19 without preexisting dementia have phenotypically and imaging-wise similar brain changes imitating other degenerative and vascular dementias.”
Scientists likewise found that the attributes of a specific kind of dementia changed following COVID-19, and both degenerative and vascular dementias started acting like mixed dementia both clinically and radiologically. A rapidly and strongly weakening course was observed in clients having perilous beginning, gradually progressive dementia, and who were previously cognitively stable.
Cortical atrophy was likewise evident in the research studys subsequent follow-ups. Coagulopathy involving little vessels and inflammation, which were further correlated with white matter strength changes in the brain, was thought about the most crucial pathogenetic indicator.
The fast development of dementia, the addition of additional impairments/deterioration of cognitive capabilities, and the boost or new look of white matter sores suggest that formerly compromised brains have little defense to withstand a new insult (i.e., a “2nd hit” like infection/dysregulated immune action and inflammation).
According to Dr. Souvik Dubey and his co-investigators, ” Brain fog is an ambiguous terminology without particular attribution to the spectrum of post-COVID-19 cognitive sequelae. Based upon the progression of cognitive deficits and the association with white matter intensity changes, we propose a new term: FADE-IN MEMORY (i.e., Fatigue, decreased Fluency, Attention deficit, Depression, Executive dysfunction, slowed INformation processing speed, and subcortical MEMORY impairment).”.
Co-investigator Mahua Jana Dubey, MD, Department of Psychiatry, Berhampur Mental Hospital, Berhampur, West Bengal, India, included, “Amidst different psychosocial impacts of COVID-19, cognitive deficits, when accompanied by anxiety and/or apathy and fatigue in clients with or without preexisting dementia, need precise assessment due to the fact that it enforces added stress and concern on caretakers, one of the most important but often forgotten problems that may have the possible to hamper treatment.”.
” As the aging population and dementia are increasing globally, we think pattern recognition of COVID-19-associated cognitive deficits is urgently needed to compare COVID-19-associated cognitive disabilities per se and other types of dementia. This understanding will have a definitive impact on future dementia research,” Dr. Souvik Dubey concluded.
” Increasing epidemiological proof of the association of COVID-19 and AD is the heightened danger of AD with COVID-19, and of increased COVID-19 in clients with advertisement points to shared pathogenesis. Dubey et al further clarify this connection in showing COVID-19 fundamentally modifies the course of dementia no matter the cause,” mentioned George Perry, PhD, Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Alzheimers Disease, and Semmes Distinguished University Chair in Neurobiology at The University of Texas at San Antonio.
Reference: “The Effects of SARS-CoV-2 Infection on the Cognitive Functioning of Patients with Pre-Existing Dementia” by Souvik Dubey, Shambaditya Das, Ritwik Ghosh, Mahua Jana Dubey, Arka Prava Chakraborty, Dipayan Roy, Gautam Das, Ajitava Dutta, Arindam Santra, Samya Sengupta and Juliàn Benito-León, 14 February 2023, Journal of Alzheimers Disease Reports.DOI: 10.3233/ ADR-220090.
