![]() Researchers used a validated in vitro human cell model that consists of cells from the hippocampus, a part of the brain fundamental in many cognitive, memory and learning skills. Half of these patients were experiencing delirium symptoms whilst the other half did not present with these symptoms at time of hospital admission. The study collected serum samples from 36 patients admitted to Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, in London, during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in the UK (March-June 2020). However, which cytokines are directly relevant to the development of neurological symptoms is currently unknown. ![]() Once produced by the immune cells in the body in response to the infection, these cytokines can then move from the blood to the brain and directly affect brain mechanisms. The development of neurological symptoms in COVID-19 patients is likely to involve an overactive immune response, called the cytokine storm, with an excessive production of these multiple inflammatory proteins. This is the first study to test the direct effect of blood (using serum) taken from hospitalised COVID-19 patients with delirium on the generation of new brain cells in the hippocampus area of the brain. Delirium is a state of mental confusion that can happen if you become medically unwell and is associated with adverse outcomes, including prolonged hospitalisation and death.Īlthough the respiratory symptoms of COVID-19 are well recognised, the cellular and molecular mechanisms to explain delirium and other neurological symptoms are not well understood. ![]() Previous research indicates that 20 to 30 percent of COVID-19 patients will develop neurological symptoms such as delirium, with rates of 60 to 70 percent in cases of severe illness. We have found that there is a profound reduction in the generation of new brain cells and an increase in cell death, and these are likely mechanisms behind delirium, and possibly other neurological symptoms, in COVID-19 patients." Our research is the first to use blood samples from COVID-19 patients experiencing delirium to investigate how the infection impacts a process called "neurogenesis" (the generation of new brain cells), which is essential to maintain intact brain functions, including memory and thought processes. Published in Molecular Psychiatry, the study's findings indicate a key role for the inflammatory proteins (cytokines) produced by the immune system during infection, and could help inform potential treatments to reduce symptoms of confusion, disorientation and memory deficits in COVID-19 patients.ĭr Alessandra Borsini, NIHR Maudsley BRC Senior Research Fellow, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, first author, said: "More and more, research is indicating that there is a neurological element to severe COVID-19 infection, but we have little understanding about what happens in the brain to produce these symptoms. Funded by the Rosetrees Trust and the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Maudsley Biomedical Research Centre, the in vitro study provides insight into the possible cellular and molecular mechanisms involved in the development of delirium in COVID-19 patients, as well as the general effects of COVID-19 infection on the brain.
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