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COVID-19 and Brain
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COVID-19 and Brain (Closed)

A topical collection in Brain Sciences (ISSN 2076-3425). This collection belongs to the section "Systems Neuroscience".

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Editors

Prof. Dr. Tissa Wijeratne

E-Mail Website
Collection Editor
Department of Neurology, The Sunshine Hospital, WHCRE Level Three, St. Albans, VIC 3021, Australia
Interests: stroke; neuroimmunology; COVID-19; migraine; Parkinson’s disease; education; advocacy
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Shantha Rajaratnam

E-Mail Website
Co-Collection Editor
Turner Institute for Brain and Mental Health, Monash University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
Interests: circadian rhythms; insomnia; sleep; sleep disorders; melatonin; shift work; light; sleepiness-related crashes
Prof. Dr. Meg E. Morris

E-Mail Website
Co-Collection Editor
Academic and Research Collaborative in Health (ARCH), La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
Interests: rehabilitation; movement disorders; COVID-19 and brain
Dr. Leila Karimi

E-Mail Website
Co-Collection Editor
School of Applied Health, Department of Psychology, RMIT University, Melbourne, Australia
Interests: organizational psychology; statistics; workplace mental health and wellbeing; health care workforces
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Topical Collection Information

Dear Colleagues,

We are delighted to share the good news with you that the MDPI journal Brain Sciences has launched a Special Issue entitled "COVID-19 and Brain".

"COVID-19 and Brain" is dedicated to promoting and improving the basic and translational knowledge of how the human nervous system and immune systems interact in the context of acute COVID-19; it will explore the long-term neurological impact of COVID-19 and how these interactions lead to disease processes, as well as the progress of—and prognostication of—acute and long-term neurological syndromes in association with COVID-19 infection.

Neuroimmunology plays a key role in four leading disorders (stroke, migraine, dementia, and neurotrauma) that are responsible for nearly 80% of deaths and disability in low-to-middle-income countries with an opportunity to improve care globally. The pathobiology of these disorders, in relation to post-COVID-19 and brain involvement, appears to share similar acute and ongoing processes at the cellular level.

The COVID-19 pandemic is a timely reminder of the importance of neuroinflammation in brain health given the shared pathobiology of COVID-19, acute stroke, and many other acquired neurological disorders.

We welcome your submissions to "COVID-19 and Brain".

Prof. Dr. Tissa Wijeratne
Collection Editor

Prof. Dr. Shantha Rajaratnam
Prof. Dr. Meg E. Morris
Dr. Leila Karimi
Co-Collection Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the collection website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Brain Sciences is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2200 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • neuroimmunology
  • COVID-19
  • brain
  • post COVID-19 neurological syndrome
  • brain fog
  • fatigue

Published Papers (7 papers)

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2023

Jump to: 2022

10 pages, 217 KiB  
Article
Identifying the Key Elements of Psychologically Safe Workplaces in Healthcare Settings
by Karen T. Hallam, Natasha Popovic and Leila Karimi
Brain Sci. 2023, 13(10), 1450; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci13101450 - 11 Oct 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2075
Abstract
Background: Psychological safety is a key concern in the workplace as organisations continue to see increases in psychological injuries that have significant ramifications on individuals and workplaces. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated this issue in healthcare workforces facing extraordinary pressures. This preliminary study [...] Read more.
Background: Psychological safety is a key concern in the workplace as organisations continue to see increases in psychological injuries that have significant ramifications on individuals and workplaces. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated this issue in healthcare workforces facing extraordinary pressures. This preliminary study aims to enhance our understanding of the factors that healthcare workers value in relation to psychological safety in their respective healthcare settings. Methods: To achieve the research objective, qualitative self-reflection examples were conducted with 12 participants from various health professional backgrounds across public, private, and aged-care settings. The data obtained were thematically analysed using NVivo software (V 12), enabling the identification of key elements associated with psychologically safe workplaces. Results: The results revealed several significant elements that contribute to psychologically safe workplaces in healthcare settings. These elements include effective communication, organisational culture, leadership practices, performance feedback mechanisms, respect among colleagues, staff development opportunities, teamwork, and trust. The findings underscore the critical importance of these foundational elements in fostering psychological safety within healthcare. Conclusion: This study contributes to the existing body of knowledge by specifically identifying the key elements that healthcare workers value in terms of psychological safety. By exploring a wide range of healthcare professionals’ perspectives, this research offers valuable insights into the unique challenges faced by healthcare workforces and the necessary conditions for fostering psychological safety. The implications of these findings are discussed in relation to the lessons they provide for healthcare employers, highlighting the potential for improving workplace wellbeing and performance. Full article

2022

Jump to: 2023

10 pages, 616 KiB  
Review
Neurological Manifestations of SARS-CoV2 Infection: A Narrative Review
by Bogdan Pavel, Ruxandra Moroti, Ana Spataru, Mihaela Roxana Popescu, Anca Maria Panaitescu and Ana-Maria Zagrean
Brain Sci. 2022, 12(11), 1531; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci12111531 - 12 Nov 2022
Cited by 13 | Viewed by 2488
Abstract
The COVID-19 virus frequently causes neurological complications. These have been described in various forms in adults and children. Headache, seizures, coma, and encephalitis are some of the manifestations of SARS-CoV-2-induced neurological impairment. Recent publications have revealed important aspects of viral pathophysiology and its [...] Read more.
The COVID-19 virus frequently causes neurological complications. These have been described in various forms in adults and children. Headache, seizures, coma, and encephalitis are some of the manifestations of SARS-CoV-2-induced neurological impairment. Recent publications have revealed important aspects of viral pathophysiology and its involvement in nervous-system impairment in humans. We evaluated the latest literature describing the relationship between COVID-19 infection and the central nervous system. We searched three databases for observational and interventional studies in adults published between December 2019 and September 2022. We discussed in narrative form the neurological impairment associated with COVID-19, including clinical signs and symptoms, imaging abnormalities, and the pathophysiology of SARS-CoV2-induced neurological damage. Full article
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11 pages, 274 KiB  
Review
Subarachnoid Hemorrhage in Patients with SARS-CoV-2 Infection: Protocol for A Scoping Review
by Amalia Cornea, Mihaela Simu and Elena Cecilia Rosca
Brain Sci. 2022, 12(10), 1327; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci12101327 - 30 Sep 2022
Viewed by 1860
Abstract
Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is a life-threatening condition associated with high mortality and substantial long-term morbidity. The SARS-CoV-2 virus is a new pathogen that causes a disease with variable clinical manifestations. Although the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is associated with hypercoagulopathy, patients may also [...] Read more.
Subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is a life-threatening condition associated with high mortality and substantial long-term morbidity. The SARS-CoV-2 virus is a new pathogen that causes a disease with variable clinical manifestations. Although the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is associated with hypercoagulopathy, patients may also present with cerebral hemorrhage, including SAH. The present paper reports a protocol for a scoping review that is aimed to provide a comprehensive report on existing literature by examining data on SAH associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection. Our objective is to evaluate the epidemiology, clinical, laboratory, and neuroimaging features of SAH in patients with COVID-19 and to explore the etiology and possible interventions in this pathology. Using appropriate search terms, we will search LitCOVID, the WHO database on COVID-19, and MedRxiv. The inclusion criteria are pre-defined. We will extract the data of eligible studies in standardized forms and will report the results in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR). We will provide information for clinicians, healthcare providers, and public health specialists. Full article
11 pages, 947 KiB  
Article
Hospital Outcomes among COVID-19 Hospitalizations with Acute Ischemic Stroke: Cross-Sectional Study Results from California State Inpatient Database
by Muni Rubens, Anshul Saxena, Venkataraghavan Ramamoorthy, Md Ashfaq Ahmed, Zhenwei Zhang, Peter McGranaghan, Emir Veledar, Michael McDermott and Felipe De Los Rios La Rosa
Brain Sci. 2022, 12(9), 1177; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci12091177 - 1 Sep 2022
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1724
Abstract
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) could be a risk factor for acute ischemic stroke (AIS) due to the altered coagulation process and hyperinflammation. This study examined the risk factors, clinical profile, and hospital outcomes of COVID-19 hospitalizations with AIS. This study was a retrospective [...] Read more.
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) could be a risk factor for acute ischemic stroke (AIS) due to the altered coagulation process and hyperinflammation. This study examined the risk factors, clinical profile, and hospital outcomes of COVID-19 hospitalizations with AIS. This study was a retrospective analysis of data from California State Inpatient Database (SID) during 2019 and 2020. COVID-19 hospitalizations with age ≥ 18 years during 2020 and a historical cohort without COVID-19 from 2019 were included in the analysis. The primary outcomes studied were in-hospital mortality and discharge to destinations other than home. There were 91,420 COVID-19 hospitalizations, of which, 1027 (1.1%) had AIS. The historical control cohort included 58,083 AIS hospitalizations without COVID-19. Conditional logistic regression analysis showed that the odds of in-hospital mortality, discharge to destinations other than home, DVT, pulmonary embolism, septic shock, and mechanical ventilation were significantly higher among COVID-19 hospitalizations with AIS, compared to those without AIS. The odds of in-hospital mortality, DVT, pulmonary embolism, septic shock, mechanical ventilation, and respiratory failure were significantly higher among COVID-19 hospitalizations with AIS, compared to AIS hospitalizations without COVID-19. Although the prevalence of AIS was low among COVID-19 hospitalizations, it was associated with higher mortality and greater rates of discharges to destinations other than home. Full article
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18 pages, 3571 KiB  
Article
ER Stress in COVID-19 and Parkinson’s Disease: In Vitro and In Silico Evidences
by Zahara L. Chaudhry, Mahmoud Gamal, Ingrid Ferhati, Mohamad Warda and Bushra Y. Ahmed
Brain Sci. 2022, 12(4), 507; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci12040507 - 16 Apr 2022
Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3579
Abstract
The outbreak of COVID-19 caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) signifies a serious worldwide concern to public health. Both transcriptome and proteome of SARS-CoV-2-infected cells synergize the progression of infection in host, which may exacerbate symptoms and/or progression of other [...] Read more.
The outbreak of COVID-19 caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) signifies a serious worldwide concern to public health. Both transcriptome and proteome of SARS-CoV-2-infected cells synergize the progression of infection in host, which may exacerbate symptoms and/or progression of other chronic diseases such as Parkinson’s disease (PD). Oxidative stress is a well-known cause of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress observed in both SARS-CoV-2 and PD. In the current study, we aimed to explore the influence of PKR-like ER kinase (PERK) stress pathway under SARS-CoV-2-mediated infection and in human cell model of PD. Furthermore, we investigated whether they are interconnected and if the ER stress inhibitors could inhibit cell death and provide cellular protection. To achieve this aim, we have incorporated in silico analysis obtained from gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA), a literature review and laboratory data. The neurotoxin, 6-hydroxy dopamine (6OHDA), was used to mimic the biochemical and neuropathological characteristics of PD by inducing oxidative stress in dopamine-containing neurons differentiated from ReNVM cell line (dDCNs). Furthermore, we explored if ER stress influences activation of caspases-2, -4 and -8 in SARS-CoV-2 and in stressed dDCNs. Our laboratory data using Western blot, immunocytochemistry and 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazolyl-2)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) analyses indicated that 6OHDA-induced toxicity triggered activation of caspases-2, -4 and -8 in dDCNs. Under SARS-CoV-2 infection of different cell types, GSEA revealed cell-specific sensitivities to oxidative and ER stresses. Cardiomyocytes and type II alveolar epithelial-like cells were more vulnerable to oxidative stress than neural cells. On the other side, only cardiomyocytes activated the unfolded protein response, however, the PERK pathway was operative in both cardiomyocytes and neural cells. In addition, caspase-4 activation by a SARS-CoV-2 was observed via in silico analyses. These results demonstrate that the ER stress pathway under oxidative stress in SARS-CoV-2 and PD are interconnected using diverse pathways. Furthermore, our results using the ER stress inhibitor and caspase specific inhibitors provided cellular protection suggesting that the use of specific inhibitors can provide effective therapeutic approaches for the treatment of COVID-19 and PD. Full article
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16 pages, 1194 KiB  
Article
Neurological Prognostic Factors in Hospitalized Patients with COVID-19
by Leszek Drabik, Justyna Derbisz, Zaneta Chatys-Bogacka, Iwona Mazurkiewicz, Katarzyna Sawczynska, Tomasz Kesek, Jacek Czepiel, Pawel Wrona, Joanna Szaleniec, Malgorzata Wojcik-Bugajska, Aleksander Garlicki, Maciej Malecki, Ralph Jozefowicz, Agnieszka Slowik and Marcin Wnuk
Brain Sci. 2022, 12(2), 193; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci12020193 - 30 Jan 2022
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3421
Abstract
We aimed to search whether neurological symptoms or signs (NSS) and the MEWS (Modified Early Warning Score) score were associated with in-hospital mortality or oxygen requirement during the first 14 days of hospitalization in COVID-19 patients recruited at the University Hospital in Krakow, [...] Read more.
We aimed to search whether neurological symptoms or signs (NSS) and the MEWS (Modified Early Warning Score) score were associated with in-hospital mortality or oxygen requirement during the first 14 days of hospitalization in COVID-19 patients recruited at the University Hospital in Krakow, Poland. The detailed clinical questionnaires on twenty NSS were either filled out by patients prospectively or retrospectively assessed by neurologists based on daily medical records. NSS were considered high or low-risk if they were associated with increased or decreased mortality in the univariable analysis. This cohort study included 349 patients with COVID-19 (median age 64, interquartile range (51–77), women 54.72%). The presence of high-risk NSS (decreased level of consciousness, delirium, seizures, and symptoms of stroke or transient ischemic attack) or its combination with the absence of low-risk NSS (headache, dizziness, decreased mood, and fatigue) increased the risk of in-hospital mortality in SARS-CoV-2 infection 3.13 and 7.67-fold, respectively. The presence of low-risk NSS decreased the risk of in-hospital mortality in COVID-19 patients more than 6-fold. Death in patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection, apart from NSS, was predicted by older age, neoplasm, and higher MEWS scores on admission. High-risk NSS or their combination with the absence of low-risk NSS increased the risk of oxygen requirement during hospitalization in COVID-19 patients 4.48 and 1.86-fold, respectively. Independent predictors of oxygen therapy during hospitalization in patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection were also older age, male sex, neoplasm, and higher MEWS score on admission. Full article
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12 pages, 290 KiB  
Article
Neurological Manifestations in a Cohort of Egyptian Patients with COVID-19: A Prospective, Multicenter, Observational Study
by Doaa A. Mekkawy, Sherif Hamdy, Maged Abdel-Naseer, Hatem S. Shehata, Ahmed Al Halfawy, Nevin M. Shalaby, Ghaydaa A. Shehata, Anwar M. Ali, Alaa Elmazny, Sandra M. Ahmed, Jumana H. Ismail, Aml Ibraheim, Hoda M. Abdel-Hamid, Rehab Magdy, Younan Kabara Ayoub, Ahmed E. Taha, Nahla Merghany, Nourhan M. Soliman, Haidy Elshebawy, Samar E. S. Abdelal, Lobna El-Ghoneimy, Aussan Al-Athwari, Nirmeen A. Kishk, Mona A. F. Nada, Marwa Farghaly, Amr Hassan, Mohamed I. Hegazy, Ahmed Abdelalim, Husam S. Mourad, Amira Hassouna, Alshimaa S. Othman and Tissa Wijeratneadd Show full author list remove Hide full author list
Brain Sci. 2022, 12(1), 74; https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci12010074 - 1 Jan 2022
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 3431
Abstract
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has reached over 276 million people globally with 5.3 million deaths as of 22nd December 2021. COVID-19-associated acute and long-term neurological manifestations are well recognized. The exact profile and the timing of neurological events in relation to the onset [...] Read more.
Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has reached over 276 million people globally with 5.3 million deaths as of 22nd December 2021. COVID-19-associated acute and long-term neurological manifestations are well recognized. The exact profile and the timing of neurological events in relation to the onset of infection are worth exploring. The aim of the current body of work was to determine the frequency, pattern, and temporal profile of neurological manifestations in a cohort of Egyptian patients with confirmed COVID-19 infection. Methods: This was a prospective study conducted on 582 hospitalized COVID-19 patients within the first two weeks of the diagnosis of COVID-19 to detect any specific or non-specific neurological events. Results: The patients’ mean (SD) age was 46.74 (17.26) years, and 340 (58.42%) patients were females. The most commonly encountered COVID-19 symptoms were fever (90.72%), cough (82.99%), and fatigue (76.98%). Neurological events (NE) detected in 283 patients (48.63%) and were significantly associated with a severe COVID-19 at the onset (OR: 3.13; 95% CI: 2.18–4.51; p < 0.0001) and with a higher mortality (OR: 2.56; 95% CI: 1.48–5.46; p = 0.019). The most frequently reported NEs were headaches (n = 167) and myalgias (n = 126). Neurological syndromes included stroke (n = 14), encephalitis (n = 12), encephalopathy (n = 11), transverse myelitis (n = 6) and Guillain-Barré syndrome (n = 4). Conclusions: Neurological involvement is common (48.63%) in COVID-19 patients within the first two weeks of the illness. This includes neurological symptoms such as anosmia, headaches, as well as a constellation of neurological syndromes such as stroke, encephalitis, transverse myelitis, and Guillain-Barré syndrome. Severity of acute COVID-19 illness and older age are the main risk factors. Full article
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