Some patients diagnosed with COVID-19 experience neurological symptoms, most commonly an altered mental state and stroke.
That’s according to a recent study of more than 700 patients infected with the virus between Feb. 29 and April 4, published in Radiology. A majority (59%) of patients had an altered mental state, with 15% experiencing serious neurological symptoms requiring brain or spine imaging.
Lead author Abdelkader Mahammedi, MD, an assistant professor of radiology at the University of Cincinnati, added that 31% of individuals suffered a stroke and that such findings should help physicians understand the virus’s impact on the central nervous system.
“To date, this is the largest and first study in [the] literature that characterizes the neurological symptoms and neuroimaging features in COVID-19 patients,” Mahammedi, also a UC Health neuroradiologist, said in a statement. “These newly discovered patterns could help doctors better and sooner recognize associations with COVID-19 and possibly provide earlier interventions."
A total of 725 patients from three major Italian institutions were included in the study. Imaging workup for most (99%) individuals included a brain CT scan, with 18% undergoing brain MRI and 16% receiving a head and neck CT.
An altered mental state was the most common neurological finding and was more prevalent in older adults, the authors noted. Additionally, 31% experienced a stroke, 12% suffered from headaches, 9% had a seizure and 4% reported dizziness.
"Of these 108 patients, 31, or 29%, had no known past medical history. Of these, aged 16 to 62 years, 10 experienced stroke and two had brain bleeds," Mahammedi added. "Seventy-one, or 66%, of these patients had no findings on a brain CT, out of which 7 of them (35%)…showed abnormalities."
Mahammedi and colleagues concluded that the neuroimaging features of patients with COVID-19 vary, and said the topic “definitely needs more research.”
"Currently, we have a poor understanding of the neurological symptoms in COVID-19 patients, whether these are arising from critical illness or from direct central nervous system invasion of SARS-CoV-2,” he added. “We hope further study on this subject will help in uncovering clues and providing better interventions for patients."
Matt joined Chicago’s TriMed team in 2018 covering all areas of health imaging after two years reporting on the hospital field. He holds a bachelor’s in English from UIC, and enjoys a good cup of coffee and an interesting documentary.