Neurological Complications of COVID-19: Underlying Mechanisms and Management

Int J Mol Sci. 2021 Apr 15;22(8):4081. doi: 10.3390/ijms22084081.

Abstract

COVID-19 is a severe respiratory disease caused by the newly identified human coronavirus (HCoV) Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). The virus was discovered in December 2019, and in March 2020, the disease was declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) due to a high number of cases. Although SARS-CoV-2 primarily affects the respiratory system, several studies have reported neurological complications in COVID-19 patients. Headache, dizziness, loss of taste and smell, encephalitis, encephalopathy, and cerebrovascular diseases are the most common neurological complications that are associated with COVID-19. In addition, seizures, neuromuscular junctions' disorders, and Guillain-Barré syndrome were reported as complications of COVID-19, as well as neurodegenerative and demyelinating disorders. However, the management of these conditions remains a challenge. In this review, we discuss the prevalence, pathogenesis, and mechanisms of these neurological sequelae that are secondary to SARS-CoV-2 infection. We aim to update neurologists and healthcare workers on the possible neurological complications associated with COVID-19 and the management of these disease conditions.

Keywords: COVID-19; Guillain–Barré syndrome; SARS-CoV-2; cerebrovascular; dizziness; encephalitis; encephalopathy; headache; management; myalgia; neurological; seizures; stroke.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • COVID-19 / complications*
  • Central Nervous System / drug effects
  • Central Nervous System / virology
  • Cerebrovascular Disorders / drug therapy
  • Cerebrovascular Disorders / etiology
  • Cerebrovascular Disorders / virology
  • Humans
  • Nervous System Diseases / drug therapy*
  • Nervous System Diseases / epidemiology
  • Nervous System Diseases / etiology*
  • Nervous System Diseases / virology
  • Prevalence
  • SARS-CoV-2 / metabolism