Several individuals with long COVID reported struggling with "brain fog." A new study claimed that the condition can be predicted or possibly treated by examining the protein signatures resulting from blood clots triggered by the infection.
Blood Clot Proteins From COVID To Treat Brain Fog
People with brain fog frequently struggle with memory recall and focus, which somehow interferes with their ability to carry out daily tasks. Brain fog is characterized by confusion, forgetfulness, lack of focus, and mental clarity.
According to a recent study, these cognitive issues may be brought on by blood clots brought on by infections, presumably through pathways similar to those that lead to some forms of dementia. Testing for these clots may be able to detect, diagnose, and potentially even treat lengthy COVID since they leave distinctive protein profiles in the blood.
The findings suggest that long COVID may be detected by blood testing for these proteins, while other experts advise caution because long COVID symptoms and causes may differ from person to person.
SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID, can cause up to 15% of those who catch it to experience prolonged COVID symptoms that may linger for months or years.
Due to the confusing array of symptoms that have been recorded, including cognitive fog, exhaustion, breathing issues, and countless other impacts, the ailment has proven challenging to treat, let alone diagnose. Whether the virus persists in the body or the initial infection sets off another reaction, such as an immunological response, that results in the ongoing symptoms is unknown.
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Elevated Protein Levels Observed Among Patients With Brain Fog
Blood tests performed while the patients were in the hospital revealed that persons who continued to experience brain fog six or twelve months after infection tended to have increased levels of at least one of two proteins in their blood. The first protein, D-dimer, is created when blood clots dissolve within the body. Even though patients with high D-dimer levels complained of memory issues, they did not perform worse on cognitive tests. But compared to other patients, they were more likely to experience weariness and shortness of breath. Blood clots in the lungs, which can also result in low oxygen levels in the brain, are thought to be the cause of these consequences, according to lead study author and psychiatrist Maxime Taquet of the University of Oxford.
The liver produces the second protein, fibrinogen, which induces clotting to stop bleeding. In addition to reporting memory loss, patients with increased fibrinogen levels during active COVID-19 infection performed poorly on the cognitive test.
Six months after infection, the average score for this group was below 86.7 percent, which is a test result that may indicate dementia. According to Taquet, these findings point to one of two possibilities: either fibrinogen-generated blood clots in the brain or other blood clots in the body damaged the brain and led to more severe cognitive deficits.
Resia Pretorius, a physiologist at Stellenbosch University in South Africa, describes the discoveries as "very exciting." Her research has discovered connections between blood "microclots" and brain fog in long-term COVID patients.
These clots frequently have misfolded fibrinogen proteins that prevent the clots from dissolving, which can obstruct blood vessels and hinder the brain and other organs from receiving oxygen. Pretorius hypothesizes that the fibrinogen protein interacts with the notorious spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 to alter its form.
Prior research has connected fibrinogen to cognitive problems, notably vascular dementia. Studies have also demonstrated that mice given fibrinogen injections can experience mental issues. According to Sidney Strickland, an Alzheimer's researcher at Rockefeller University in New York City, it is uncertain whether removing blood clots could repair existing brain damage or whether the lack of oxygen kills neurons permanently.
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