Neurological manifestations of COVID-19: a review of what we know so far

J Neurol. 2020 Sep;267(9):2485-2489. doi: 10.1007/s00415-020-09939-5. Epub 2020 May 26.

Abstract

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has become a pandemic disease globally. While it mostly presents with respiratory symptoms, it has already been found that it could manifest with a series of neurological symptoms as well, either at presentation or during the course of the disease. Symptoms vary from non-specific such as headache or dizziness to more specific such as convulsions and cerebrovascular disease (CVD). This study aims to give an overview of the neurological manifestations of COVID-19 and discuss the potential pathogenetic mechanisms of central nervous system (CNS) involvement. Clinicians and especially internists, neurologists, and infectious disease specialists should be aware of these symptoms and able to recognize them early. Prompt diagnosis and immediate management of the neurological manifestations of the novel coronavirus will not only improve the prognosis of COVID-19 patients but will also prevent the dissemination of the disease due to misdiagnosed cases.

Keywords: COVID-19; Coronavirus; Neurological manifestations; Neurology; SARS-CoV-2.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Betacoronavirus*
  • Brain Diseases / blood
  • Brain Diseases / epidemiology
  • Brain Diseases / physiopathology
  • COVID-19
  • Cerebrovascular Disorders / blood
  • Cerebrovascular Disorders / epidemiology
  • Cerebrovascular Disorders / physiopathology
  • Coronavirus Infections / blood
  • Coronavirus Infections / epidemiology*
  • Coronavirus Infections / physiopathology*
  • Humans
  • Nervous System Diseases / blood
  • Nervous System Diseases / epidemiology*
  • Nervous System Diseases / physiopathology*
  • Pandemics
  • Pneumonia, Viral / blood
  • Pneumonia, Viral / epidemiology*
  • Pneumonia, Viral / physiopathology*
  • SARS-CoV-2