tetano
Editor, Senior Moderator
Brain Behav Immun. 2020 May 13. pii: S0889-1591(20)30876-X. doi: 10.1016/j.bbi.2020.05.037. [Epub ahead of print]
Subjective neurological symptoms frequently occur in patients with SARS-CoV2 infection.
Liguori C[SUP]1[/SUP], Pierantozzi M[SUP]2[/SUP], Spanetta M[SUP]3[/SUP], Sarmati L[SUP]4[/SUP], Cesta N[SUP]5[/SUP], Iannetta M[SUP]4[/SUP], Ora J[SUP]6[/SUP], Genga Mina G[SUP]7[/SUP], Puxeddu E[SUP]8[/SUP], Balbi O[SUP]7[/SUP], Pezzuto G[SUP]6[/SUP], Magrini A[SUP]7[/SUP], Rogliani P[SUP]8[/SUP], Andreoni M[SUP]4[/SUP], Biagio Mercuri N[SUP]9[/SUP].
Author information
Abstract
OBJECTIVE:
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) represents a novel pneumonia leading to severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). Recent studies documented that SARS-Coronavirus2 (SARS-CoV2), responsible for COVID-19, can affect the nervous system. The aim of the present observational study was to prospectively assess subjective neurological symptoms (sNS) in patients with SARS-CoV2 infection.
METHODS:
We included patients hospitalized at the University Hospital of Rome Tor Vergata, medical center dedicated to the treatment of patients with COVID-19 diagnosis, who underwent an anamnestic interview about sNS consisting of 13 items, each related to a specific symptom, requiring a dichotomized answer.
RESULTS:
We included 103 patients with SARS-CoV2 infection. Ninety-four patients (91.3%) reported at least one sNS. Sleep impairment was the most frequent symptom, followed by dysgeusia, headache, hyposmia, and depression. Women more frequently complained hyposmia, dysgeusia, dizziness, numbeness/paresthesias, daytime sleepiness, and muscle ache. Moreover, muscle ache and daytime sleepiness were more frequent in the first 2 days after admission. Conversely, sleep impairment was more frequent in patients with more than 7 days of hospitalization. In these patients we also documented higher white blood cells and lower C-reactive protein levels. These laboratory findings correlated with the occurrence of hyposmia, dysgeusia, headache, daytime sleepiness, and depression.
CONCLUSIONS:
Patients with SARS-CoV2 infection frequently present with sNS. These symptoms were present from the early phases of the disease. The possibly intrinsic neurotropic properties of SARS-CoV2 may justify the very high frequency of sNS. Further studies targeted at investigating the consequences of SARS-CoV2 infection on the CNS should be planned.
Copyright ? 2020. Published by Elsevier Inc.
KEYWORDS:
COVID-19; SARS-CoV2 infection; central nervous system; neurological symptoms; sex
PMID:32416289DOI:10.1016/j.bbi.2020.05.037
Subjective neurological symptoms frequently occur in patients with SARS-CoV2 infection.
Liguori C[SUP]1[/SUP], Pierantozzi M[SUP]2[/SUP], Spanetta M[SUP]3[/SUP], Sarmati L[SUP]4[/SUP], Cesta N[SUP]5[/SUP], Iannetta M[SUP]4[/SUP], Ora J[SUP]6[/SUP], Genga Mina G[SUP]7[/SUP], Puxeddu E[SUP]8[/SUP], Balbi O[SUP]7[/SUP], Pezzuto G[SUP]6[/SUP], Magrini A[SUP]7[/SUP], Rogliani P[SUP]8[/SUP], Andreoni M[SUP]4[/SUP], Biagio Mercuri N[SUP]9[/SUP].
Author information
Abstract
OBJECTIVE:
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) represents a novel pneumonia leading to severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS). Recent studies documented that SARS-Coronavirus2 (SARS-CoV2), responsible for COVID-19, can affect the nervous system. The aim of the present observational study was to prospectively assess subjective neurological symptoms (sNS) in patients with SARS-CoV2 infection.
METHODS:
We included patients hospitalized at the University Hospital of Rome Tor Vergata, medical center dedicated to the treatment of patients with COVID-19 diagnosis, who underwent an anamnestic interview about sNS consisting of 13 items, each related to a specific symptom, requiring a dichotomized answer.
RESULTS:
We included 103 patients with SARS-CoV2 infection. Ninety-four patients (91.3%) reported at least one sNS. Sleep impairment was the most frequent symptom, followed by dysgeusia, headache, hyposmia, and depression. Women more frequently complained hyposmia, dysgeusia, dizziness, numbeness/paresthesias, daytime sleepiness, and muscle ache. Moreover, muscle ache and daytime sleepiness were more frequent in the first 2 days after admission. Conversely, sleep impairment was more frequent in patients with more than 7 days of hospitalization. In these patients we also documented higher white blood cells and lower C-reactive protein levels. These laboratory findings correlated with the occurrence of hyposmia, dysgeusia, headache, daytime sleepiness, and depression.
CONCLUSIONS:
Patients with SARS-CoV2 infection frequently present with sNS. These symptoms were present from the early phases of the disease. The possibly intrinsic neurotropic properties of SARS-CoV2 may justify the very high frequency of sNS. Further studies targeted at investigating the consequences of SARS-CoV2 infection on the CNS should be planned.
Copyright ? 2020. Published by Elsevier Inc.
KEYWORDS:
COVID-19; SARS-CoV2 infection; central nervous system; neurological symptoms; sex
PMID:32416289DOI:10.1016/j.bbi.2020.05.037