4 research outputs found
SARS-CoV-2 and the Brain: What Do We Know about the Causality of âCognitive COVID?
The second year of the COVID-19 (coronavirus disease) pandemic has seen the need to identify and assess the long-term consequences of a SARS-CoV-2 infection on an individualâs overall wellbeing, including adequate cognitive functioning. âCognitive COVIDâ is an informal term coined to interchangeably refer to acute changes in cognition during COVID-19 and/or cognitive sequelae with various deficits following the infection. These may manifest as altered levels of consciousness, encephalopathy-like symptoms, delirium, and loss of various memory domains. Dysexecutive syndrome is a peculiar manifestation of âCognitive COVIDâ as well. In the previous major outbreaks of viruses like SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV and Influenza. There have been attempts to understand the underlying mechanisms describing the causality of similar symptoms following SARS-CoV-2 infection. This review, therefore, is attempting to highlight the current understanding of the various direct and indirect mechanisms, focusing on the role of neurotropism of SARS-CoV-2, the general pro-inflammatory state, and the pandemic-associated psychosocial stressors in the causality of âCognitive COVID.â Neurotropism is associated with various mechanisms including retrograde neuronal transmission via olfactory pathway, a general hematogenous spread, and the virus using immune cells as vectors. The high amounts of inflammation caused by COVID-19, compounded with potential intubation, are associated with a deleterious effect on the cognition as well. Finally, the pandemicâs unique psychosocial impact has raised alarm due to its possible effect on cognition. Furthermore, with surfacing reports of post-COVID-vaccination cognitive impairments after vaccines containing mRNA encoding for spike glycoprotein of SARS-CoV-2, we hypothesize their causality and ways to mitigate the risk. The potential impact on the quality of life of an individual and the fact that even a minor proportion of COVID-19 cases developing cognitive impairment could be a significant burden on already overwhelmed healthcare systems across the world make it vital to gather further evidence regarding the prevalence, presentation, correlations, and causality of these events and reevaluate our approach to accommodate early identification, management, and rehabilitation of patients exhibiting cognitive symptoms
Role and Perspectives of Inflammation and C-Reactive Protein (CRP) in Psychosis: An Economic and Widespread Tool for Assessing the Disease
Schizophrenia is a major psychotic disorder affecting nearly 23.6 million people globally and greatly impacting the cognitive and social functioning of individuals. Multiple risk factors, including genetic, environmental, and epigenetic factors have been identified. However, the exact mechanism by which some factors aid in the development of schizophrenia is still uncertain. Acute and/or long-standing inflammation has been implicated as both a cause and effect of schizophrenia. Heightened immune responses have been documented in large cohorts of individuals with schizophrenia. While not completely known, multiple hypotheses, such as disruption of the bloodâbrain barrier, alterations in the kynurenine/tryptophan pathway, and increased microglial activation, have been presented to correlate inflammation with schizophrenic symptoms. Measurement of C-reactive protein (CRP) is a commonly performed and inexpensive test on patientsâ serum to determine levels of systemic inflammation in the body. Multiple studies have reported an elevated CRP level in different stages of schizophrenia, indicating its potential to be used as a viable biomarker in the diagnosis and monitoring of schizophrenia along with assessing treatment response to conventional and non-conventional treatment regimens. This review aims to evaluate the role of inflammation, in general, and CRP, in particular, in the pathogenesis of schizophrenia and its potential significance in diagnostic, therapeutic, and preventative approaches towards schizophrenia and psychosis
Frequency of COVIDâ19 vaccine side effects and its associated factors among the vaccinated population of Pakistan: A crossâsectional study
Abstract Background Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVIDâ19) vaccine side effects have an important role in the hesitancy of the general population toward vaccine administration. Therefore, this study was conducted to document the COVIDâ19 vaccine side effects in our population. Materials and Methods An online surveyâbased, crossâsectional study was carried out from September 1, 2021, to October 1, 2021, to document the side effects of the COVIDâ19 vaccine among the general public. The questionnaire included participantsâ sociodemographic data, type of vaccine, comorbidities, previous COVIDâ19 infection, and assessment of side effects reported by them. Results The majority of the participants were <20 years of age (62.2%), females (74.9%), belonged to the educational sector (58.1%), residents of Sindh (65.7%), and were previously unaffected by COVIDâ19 infection (73.3%). Sinovac (38.7%) followed by Sinopharm (30.4%) and Moderna (18.4%) were administered more frequently. Commonly reported side effects were injection site pain (82%), myalgia (55%), headache (46%), fatigue/malaise (45%), and fever (41%). Vaccine side effects were more likely to be reported with the first dose as compared to the second dose. On regression analysis, factors associated with occurrence of side effects included younger age (odds ratio [OR]: 6.000 [2.065â17.431], pâ<â0.001), female gender (OR: 2.373 [1.146â4.914], pâ=â0.020), marital status (OR: 0.217 [0.085â0.556], pâ<â0.001), graduate level of education (OR: 0.353 [0.153â0.816], pâ=â0.015), and occupation being either retired, freelancers, or social workers (OR: 0.310 [0.106â0.909]), pâ=â0.033). Previous infection with COVIDâ19 (pâ=â0.458) and comorbidities were found unrelated (pâ=â0.707) to the occurrence of side effects. Conclusion The overall prevalence of local side effects was quite higher than the systemic ones. Further largeâscale studies on vaccine safety are required to strengthen public confidence in the vaccination drive
Internet and Pornography Use During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Presumed Impact and What Can Be Done
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to cause an immense psychosocial strain worldwide. Excessive use of the internet during these psychologically trying times, fueled by physical isolation as a result of lockdowns, has translated into dysfunctional behaviors. A growing body of evidence suggests an unprecedented increase in internet use and consumption of online pornography during the pandemic, and possibly even directly caused by it. In this review, the authors report data from relevant sources to show the rise in pornography use during lockdowns in different countries worldwide. In addition to a brief overview of the neurobiology of internet addiction broadly and problematic online pornography use specifically, similarities with substance use disorders are explained. Further, the current status of the debate about defining diagnostic criteria is discussed. Finally, the review sheds light on the potential detrimental outcomes during the future post-pandemic "re-adaptation," while simultaneously offering preventative and management strategies for harm reduction. The authors conclude that foresightedness with utilizing existing tools and therapies and exercising appropriate amounts of caution could go a long way in addressing the challenges that lie ahead in the post-pandemic era