High levels of two proteins in the blood could predict covid patients’ chances of suffering cognitive problems, including brain fog, after recovery.
- After studying the blood tests and records of more than 1,800 covid patients, researchers managed to identify two elements that could predict the risk of brain fog after covid-19.
- Patients who had high blood levels of fibrinogen and D-dimer were more likely to suffer from cognitive impairment.
- Further research is needed to confirm the results.
Some patients who have recovered from Covid-19 continue to experience persistent symptoms, such as fatigue, shortness of breath, but also cognitive impairment. Among the latter, the ‘fog cerebral’ – which is characterized by difficulty concentrating, thinking clearly and remembering information – is more common. High levels of two proteins in the blood could predict the chances of suffering cognitive problems after coronavirus infection, according to researchers from the Universities of Oxford and Leicester.
Fog post-Covid brain: biomarkers predictive of identified risks
For their study published in the journal Nature Medicine on August 31, scientists examined the blood tests and medical records of 1,837 people hospitalized for Covid-19. They thus managed to identify two biomarkers that could predict the risks of suffering from persistent cognitive problems after infection. The first is a high level of a protein called fibrinogen and the second is a high level of a protein fragment called D-dimer. Additionally, they are both associated with an increased risk of blood clots.
The lead author of the research, Dr. Taquet, explains in a communicated : “fibrinogen and D-dimer are both involved in blood clotting, and the results therefore support the hypothesis that blood clots are a cause of post-Covid cognitive impairment. Fibrinogen can act directly on the brain and its blood vessels, while D-dimer are often associated with blood clots in the lungs. Brain problems could be due to lack of oxygen. Consistent with this possibility, people with high rates of D-dimer were not only at higher risk of brain fog, but also at higher risk of respiratory problems.”
Covid long : further research needed
“The identification of biomarkers and possible mechanisms is a key step in understanding post-covid brain fog. This study provides significant clues”assures Paul Harrison of the department of psychiatry at the University of Oxford, who supervised the study.
His team hopes that the research results will make it possible to put in place prevention and treatment measures for these cognitive disorders developed after Covid-19. However, scientists emphasize that additional studies are needed to better understand the mechanisms at play before we can offer suitable treatments for patients with brain fog.
Geoffrey Hodgsonone of the volunteers followed by the British researchers, took advantage of the presentation of the discovery to confide in his post-Covid disorders and his participation in the trial: “Brain fog is a long-lasting symptom of covid that I’ve really struggled with. I found things I used to do easily more difficult, like the software I used for my work. Participating in the research and hearing the results regarding cognitive issues really helped me. It’s given me an understanding that I didn’t have, and it definitely makes things easier.”
