Brain fog and other neurological symptoms seen in those recovering from COVID-19 may be due to post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), new research has revealed.
Growing numbers of people recovering from the virus are reporting factors including lapses in concentration, headaches, extreme fatigue and sleep disruptions – all of which can be exacerbated among brain injury survivors, many of whom experience such factors in their everyday lives without the effect of COVID-19.
Specific rehabilitation and resources are being identified for those with brain injuries, whose symptoms have worsened, often significantly, in the aftermath of contracting the virus and the rise in ‘Long Covid’ making recovery increasingly difficult, particularly among those with existing conditions.
However, a new report has revealed that ‘brain fog’ and other effects in those recovering from COVID-19 could be attributed to PTSD, an associated impact seen in previous Coronavirus outbreaks of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Middle East respiratory syndrome (MERS).
The paper – ‘Post-traumatic stress disorder: a differential diagnostic consideration for COVID-19 survivors’ by Erin T Kaseda and Andrew J Levine – studied data from survivors of such past serious respiratory conditions, which also had neurological consequences.
“The idea is to raise awareness among neuropsychologists that PTSD is something you might want to consider when evaluating persistent cognitive and emotional difficulties among COVID- 19 survivors,” says Dr. Levine, after revealing the findings of the paper in The Clinical Neuropsychologist.
In the case of COVID-19, the paper found, symptoms of PTSD may arise in response to the invasive measures needed to treat patients, including intubation and ventilation. Other times, delirium causes patients with COVID-19 to suffer hallucinations, and the memory of these terrifying sensations continues to plague the recovered patient.
For some people, the anxiety of coping amidst a pandemic, isolation from loved ones and friends, and battling the constant fear of contracting the virus can similarly impact on thinking and memory skills – again, symptoms compounded in the instance of brain injury.
“Once (COVID-19 patients) have treatment, and hopefully have some remission of their psychiatric symptoms, if the cognitive complaints and the deficits on neuropsychological tests are still there, then that’s more evidence that something else is going on,” says Erin, who began investigating this area based on her experience of working with patients with mild traumatic brain injury, including concussion.
If the symptoms are due, even in part, to a psychiatric condition such as PTSD, treatment will help manage those symptoms, and provide a clearer view of any underlying brain issues, the report states.
“We don’t actually know anything yet from survivors of COVID-19,” Erin says. “Until we have that data, it’s very hard to say what actual percentage of patients are going to have cognitive complaints because of direct effects of the virus, because of medical intervention, or because of psychiatric concerns.
“It’s going to be important for clinicians across the board to be keeping up with the literature that’s coming out, to make sure they have the most up to date information as these survivors are starting to present for neuropsychological testing,” she adds.
