Reduced Brain Oxygen Levels, Linked to Long Covid: Study

News Desk

Islamabad: Long Covid is linked to decreased brain oxygen levels, deteriorated cognition, and increased levels of despair and anxiety, a recent study examining the effects of the coronavirus revealed.

Researchers from the University of Waterloo, Canada, combined the results of two new parallel studies: a laboratory study involving cognitive testing and imaging of oxygen levels in the brain, and a national population survey of Canadians in 2021 and 2022.

According to the research, the laboratory study discovered that those who had suffered symptomatic Covid-19 illness performed worse on two computer tests, one of which examined inhibition and the other impulsive decision-making.

The study states that those who had been infected did not exhibit an increase in oxygen saturation in an area of the brain that is usually active during one of the activities.

“We are the first to demonstrate decreased brain oxygen uptake during a cognitive activity in the months after a symptomatic Covid-19 infection,” said University of Waterloo Lead AuthorPeter Hall.

“This is significant since one of the processes by which Covid-19 may result in cognitive impairment is a lack of adequate oxygen delivery,” stated Peter.

The second study in this paper looked at associations between Covid, cognitive function, and mental symptoms in a population survey of more than 2,000 Canadians between the ages of 18 and 56.

The research reveals that respondents with Covid reported trouble paying attention and issues with inhibition, as well as more severe symptoms of worry and despair.

Even after controlling for how long ago respondents were infected, these effects seemed to be slightly stronger in the unvaccinated group and were still perceptible.

The publication noted that prior research has linked Covid to test performance, subjectively reported cognitive symptoms and abnormalities in brain structure as determined by MRI, but notoxygenation changes in the brain.

In terms of the results of the brain imaging, older women were more impacted than others.

“We don’t know for sure why this was the case but past research has shown that some post-Covid-19 syndrome symptoms are more detrimental to older women,” Researcher Hall added.

In the case of population study, it appears that baseline Covid-19 infection is associated with higher issues with emotion regulation six months later, including depression, anxiety, and agitation, regardless of gender and other demographic characteristics.

Peter stated that in a few instances, we’re referring to symptom levels that are equal to or higher than those that are recommended as cut-off scores for psychiatric diagnosis.

The studies were carried out in the early pandemic waves. The impact of Omicron and subsequent variations on the brain was not examined by the researchers.