COVID-19 can lead to a decrease in the amount of gray matter in the brain, journal Nature writes.According to Medportal.ru, coronavirus infection often causes disorders of taste and smell. British specialists have proved that it can lead to changes in the volume of cerebral gray matter in areas related to the sense of smell.Previous brain studies with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT) and positron emission tomography (PET) have also reported cerebral abnormalities in patients with COVID-19. However, the current study is the first longitudinal study with repeated imaging that compared brain scans before and after COVID-19. Researchers evaluated the brains of 587 U.K. residents between the ages of 51 and 81 who underwent imaging twice in three years as part of the UK Biobank analysis. Between the two scans, 401 participants were diagnosed with COVID-19. Brain scans of patients infected with the coronavirus were compared with those of control groups. Analysis of all these scans showed negative effects of COVID-19 on the brain with consistent and moderate microstructural changes in cortical thickness and mean diffusion capacity.The changes, according to scientists, were primarily noted in the limbic and cerebral olfactory systems. Such effects may be related to the spread of infection from olfactory cells into the brain.According to scientists, it is still difficult to say whether the brain changes are reversible or permanent. New research will be needed to find out.
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