Understanding Covid-19 better

The Neuroimmunology Research Group of HUN-REN reports new findings on the effects of coronavirus infection on the nervous system. Ádám Dénes, neurologist and head of the research group, explained these findings in his lecture ‘The role of inflammation and microglia in the development of the effects of Covid-19 on the nervous system’, especially with regard to the long-lasting, so-called long Covid syndrome.

Research suggests that while inflammatory processes play a key role in the development of complex diseases of the nervous system, including changes in cerebral blood flow, the exact mechanisms are still enigmatic. It is important to fully understand the long-term effects of Covid-19 in order to more effectively manage the complications and mitigate the negative impact of the pandemic, which has posed a serious challenge to the healthcare system.

Ádám Dénes from the Academy of Sciences (MTA) explained that one of the researches aimed to understand what changes can be observed in the brain tissue of patients who have died as a result of Covid-19 and which of these can be considered direct effects. The researchers paid particular attention to microglial cells, the most important inflammation-regulating cells in the brain. The results show that Covid-19 triggers significant inflammation in many areas of the brain, which impairs the function of microglial cells.

Another study examined patients who had contracted Covid-19 and subsequently showed neurological symptoms. These two studies show that Covid-19 disease can be expected to result in very severe neurological involvement, with multiple organs affected and the autonomic nervous system significantly impaired. Future research aims to develop therapies that can effectively treat the symptoms of Long Covid. Although there is currently no universally effective treatment, maintaining and increasing physical and mental activity can help many patients recover.