“NeuroCOVID”: Pondering the Effects of SARS-CoV2 on the Brain with Daniel Martins de Souza

Approximately 30% of people who are infected with COVID will experience long-lasting symptoms of impaired brain function including reduced ability to concentrate, impaired memory, confusion, depression and chronic fatigue.  These problems often last for many months beyond the time at which the SARS-CoV2 virus is no longer detectable in their nasal passages or blood. In this podcast Professor Daniel Martins-de-Souza talks about research from his laboratory and those of his collaborators published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences which provides evidence that SARS-CoV2 enters the brain where it infects astrocytes, a type of glial cell that normally plays important roles in brain energy metabolism, the regulation of cerebral blood flow, and the production and removal of several neurotransmitters. Their research reveals several approaches for the prevention and treatment of “neuroCOVID” including those that may prevent entry of the virus into astrocytes and those that may protect neurons against adverse effects of astrocyte infection.

Links

Professor Martins-de-Souza’s research gate:

https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Daniel-Martins-De-Souza-2

PNAS article: Morphological, cellular, and molecular basis of brain infection in COVID-19 patients.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9436354/pdf/pnas.202200960.pdf

Review article on Long NeuroCOVID:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9537254/pdf/main.pdf