In a new study, researchers reviewed neurological symptoms in patients with COVID-19.
They found that altered mental status and stroke are the most common neurological symptoms in COVID-19 patients, which could help physicians notice “red flags” earlier.
Their findings may shed light on the virus’s impact on the central nervous system.
The research was conducted by a team at the University of Cincinnati and elsewhere.
Previous studies have reported the spectrum of chest imaging features of COVID-19, but only a few case reports have described COVID-19 associated brain imaging findings.
In this study, the team examined neurological symptoms and imaging findings in patients from three major institutions in Italy.
Italy was the second epicenter of the spread of COVID-19, resulting in over 30,000 deaths.
The study included images from 725 hospitalized patients with confirmed COVID-19 infection between Feb. 29 and April 4.
Of these, 108 (15%) had serious neurological symptoms and underwent brain or spine imaging. Most patients (99%) had brain CT scans, while 16% had head and neck CT imaging, and 18% had brain MRI.
The team found that 59% of patients reported an altered mental state and 31% experienced a stroke, which was the most common neurological symptoms.
Patients also experienced headaches (12%), seizure (9%), and dizziness (4%), among other symptoms.
The team adds that altered mental status was more common in older adults.
While results show that the neuroimaging features of patients with COVID-19 vary, and an altered mental status and stroke are the most prevalent in patients, the team says this study reveals that there are other conditions to be on the lookout for.
This is the largest and first study in the literature that characterizes the neurological symptoms and neuroimaging features in COVID-19 patients.
These newly discovered patterns could help doctors better and sooner recognize associations with COVID-19 and possibly provide earlier interventions.
The lead author of the study is Abdelkader Mahammedi, MD, an assistant professor of radiology at UC and a UC Health neuroradiologist.
The study is published in Radiology.
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