Insights into the Pathophysiology of NeuroCOVID: Current Topics

Dear Colleagues,

According to a recent estimate, long COVID is a disease experienced by as many as 400 million people worldwide. “Long-haulers” is the term used to refer to subjects who have recovered from SARS-CoV-2 infection but have developed post-COVID symptoms. Increasing studies have supported the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, increasing attention on the neurological manifestations associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection. The terms “NeuroCOVID” and NeuroCOVID-19 were coined to describe the neurological consequences seen in COVID-19 patients.

However, several gaps are still present in the research regarding the identification, timeframe, mechanisms, and treatment strategies for the management of neurological post-COVID symptoms.

Neurological and psychiatric manifestations of NeuroCOVID can vary widely and include headache, dizziness, confusion, and loss of smell and taste (anosmia and ageusia). The long COVID phenomenon has revealed that some patients experience persistent neurological symptoms, such as cognitive difficulties (often referred to as “brain fog”), anxiety, depression, and sleep disturbances. These symptoms may last weeks or months after the acute infection resolves.

Mental health has also been severely affected by the pandemic, and common psychiatric symptoms include anxiety and depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), phobias, and obsessive-compulsive disorders. The mechanisms through which SARS-CoV-2 exerts its neurological effects are not fully understood, but the following hypotheses have been put forward: direct invasion, inflammatory reaction, hypoxia, and autoimmunity.

It is critical that clinicians are aware of the potential neurological manifestations in COVID-19 patients and that appropriate screening protocols are implemented. Furthermore, a multidisciplinary approach is needed to manage neurological symptoms, involving neurologists, psychiatrists, and occupational therapists. We are pleased to invite you to submit to this Special Issue, “Insights into the Pathophysiology of NeuroCOVID: Current Topics”. This Special Issue aims to better understand all aspects underlying NeuroCOVID-19 symptoms and long COVID neurocognitive sequelae to improve management of these patients. This Special Issue will focus on all these aspects of NeuroCOVID symptoms and sequelae, mechanisms, and therapeutic investigations, a topic of emerging relevance due to the presence of millions of “long-haulers”, as evidenced by recent reports started two to three years ago. NeuroCOVID represents an emerging and complex challenge in managing the COVID-19 pandemic. Although significant progress has been made in understanding the neurological manifestations and underlying mechanisms, further research is needed to develop effective prevention and treatment strategies. Clinical awareness and interdisciplinary research will be crucial to addressing the neurological consequences of this disease.

Dr. Christian Barbato
Prof. Dr. Antonio Minni
Dr. Carla Petrella
Guest Editors

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• neuroCOVID
• longCOVID
• neurocognitive
• cellular and molecular neurobiology
• brain fog
• anxiety
• depression
• biomarkers
• translational biomedicine
• neurodegenerative diseases

• Insights into Molecular and Cellular Mechanisms of NeuroCOVID in Cells (9 articles)