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The coronavirus pandemic continues to have a lingering effect on the world as scientists struggle to understand the many lasting effects of the virus.
One of them is a condition that has cognitive effects such as memory loss and difficulty learning, known as brain fog. It leads to a feeling of mental confusion, lack of clarity, or difficulty concentrating. It can manifest as forgetfulness, difficulty remembering information, inability to concentrate, and general cognitive slowness.
Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago have identified the mechanism that causes this neurological condition. The findings are based on a study in mice infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus behind Covid-19.
Mice are used in neurological studies because of their many genetic, physiological, and behavioral similarities to humans, making them valuable models for studying human neurological disorders and diseases.
The details published in Cerebro magazine reveal that the researchers focused on the blood-brain barrier, which plays a role in other neurological diseases, such as multiple sclerosis.
The team said that normally, this barrier protects the brain from potentially harmful cells or molecules circulating in the bloodstream. But the researchers found that the infected mice had leaky blood vessels in the blood-brain barrier and memory or learning problems.
The researchers looked at blood vessels in the brains of infected mice to see which genes were most altered and found a significant decrease in a signaling pathway called Wnt/beta-catenin, which helps maintain the health of the blood-brain barrier and protects the brain from damage.
The team focused on older mice in the study to better understand the risk factors for cognitive decline in older people infected with Covid-19. They specifically tracked mild infections in the mice. Mild, rather than severe, infections account for the majority of Covid-19 cases in humans today after vaccination.
This research suggests that improving the integrity of the blood-brain barrier could have benefits in preventing Covid-19 complications. An important lesson from the Covid-19 pandemic is that even mild infections can profoundly affect organs, including the brain.