BREAKING! Italian Study Discovers That Brain Fog In Long COVID Is Due To Impaired Glutamate And GABAb Brain Pathways
Long COVID - Brain Fog - Impaired Glutamate And GABAb Pathways. Jun 01, 2023 1 year, 6 months, 3 weeks, 23 hours, 40 minutes ago
Long COVID: As the world continues to grapple with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, scientists are unraveling the mysteries of a post-infectious condition known as
Long COVID. While this syndrome encompasses a range of persistent symptoms, one particularly troubling manifestation is the cognitive impairment commonly referred to as "brain fog."
Recent groundbreaking research conducted in Italy sheds light on the underlying mechanisms behind this phenomenon, revealing a link between impaired glutamate and GABAb regulatory pathways in the brain. The study, conducted by researchers at the University Hospital and Health Services of Trieste and the University of Trieste, has the potential to revolutionize our understanding of
Long COVID and pave the way for targeted therapies.
The Study
The Italian study focused on the functional state of inhibitory and excitatory cortical regulatory circuits in patients with
Long COVID and cognitive impairment. The study team utilized innovative techniques such as "paired-pulse" transcranial magnetic stimulation (ppTMS) and Short-latency Afferent Inhibition (SAI) to investigate cortical excitability in the motor cortex of the participants.
Findings
The study compared clinical and neurophysiological data from 18 Long COVID patients experiencing persistent cognitive impairment with 16 healthy control subjects. The results revealed significant differences in cognitive performance between the two groups, with the
Long COVID patients exhibiting suboptimal executive functions. Fatigue levels were also found to be high among the patients. Interestingly, while resting motor threshold and other measures did not differ significantly between the groups,
Long COVID patients showed a reduction in inhibition and glutamatergic regulation in specific cortical circuits.
Implications
These study findings provide valuable insights into the neurophysiological characteristics of Neuro-
Long COVID, particularly in relation to the regulation of the motor cortex in individuals experiencing brain fog. The dysregulation of GABAb inhibition and glutamatergic facilitation observed in the study suggests a broader disruption in the brain's regulatory networks, potentially affecting cognitive processing and executive functions. Importantly, the study did not find any significant alterations in cholinergic circuits.
Significance
The implications of this research are far-reaching, offering a deeper understanding of the cognitive deficits associated with
Long COVID. By identifying the specific neurotransmitter pathways involved, this study opens doors for targeted therapeutic interventions aimed at restoring optimal brain function in affected individuals. Further research, including larger sample sizes, is needed to confirm and expand upon these findings. Nevertheless, the current study represents a significant step forward in unraveling the mysteries of
Long COVID
and provides hope for millions of individuals grappling with persistent cognitive impairment.
Conclusion
Brain fog has plagued many individuals battling
Long COVID, leaving them frustrated and seeking answers. The Italian study's groundbreaking findings linking impaired glutamate and GABAb regulatory pathways to this cognitive impairment shed new light on the condition and offer hope for future treatments. By pinpointing specific brain circuits affected by
Long COVID, scientists can now develop targeted interventions to restore cognitive function and alleviate brain fog. As the world continues to battle the long-lasting effects of the pandemic, this study represents a crucial breakthrough in understanding and combatting the lingering impact of COVID-19 on the brain.
The study findings were published in the peer reviewed journal: Clinical Neurophysiology
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1388245723006156
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Long COVID, keep on logging to Thailand Medical News.
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