Can Covid-19 Cause Alzheimer's-Like Cognitive Impairment?

Yes, says a new study, where a link between Covid-19 and Alzheimer's has been found. Patients after recovering from Covid-19 were found to have lasting effects on brain function that led to either Alzheimer's or dementia.//

While some studies suggest that SARS-CoV-2 infects brain cells directly, others found no evidence of the virus in the brain.

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‘Covid-19 virus can affect several genes or pathways involved in neuroinflammation and brain microvascular injury, which could lead to Alzheimer's disease-like cognitive impairment.’

The study, led by researchers from Cleveland Clinic, discovered close network relationships between the virus and genes/proteins associated with several neurological diseases, most notably Alzheimer's, pointing to pathways by which Covid-19 could lead to AD-like dementia.

To explore this further, they investigated potential associations between Covid-19 and neuroinflammation and brain microvascular injury, which are both hallmarks of Alzheimer's.

"We discovered that SARS-CoV-2 infection significantly altered Alzheimer's markers implicated in brain inflammation and that certain viral entry factors are highly expressed in cells in the blood-brain barrier," said lead author Feixiong Cheng, from Cleveland Clinic's Genomic Medicine Institute.

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The findings are published in the journal Alzheimer's Research & Therapy.

The researchers also analyzed the genetic factors that enabled SARS-COV-2 to infect brain tissues and cells.

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"These findings indicate that the virus may impact several genes or pathways involved in neuroinflammation and brain microvascular injury, which could lead to Alzheimer's disease-like cognitive impairment," Cheng added.

The researchers also found that individuals with the allele APOE E4/E4, the greatest genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's, had decreased expression of antiviral defense genes, which could make these patients more susceptible to Covid-19.

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"Ultimately, we hope to have paved the way for research that leads to testable and measurable biomarkers that can identify patients at the highest risk for neurological complications with Covid-19," said Cheng.

Cheng and his team are now working to identify actionable biomarkers and new therapeutic targets for Covid-19-associated neurological issues in Covid long-haulers using cutting-edge network medicine and artificial intelligence technologies.

Source-IANS