COVID-19 and the Nervous System from a Cuban Experience

Abstract

Neuropsychiatric manifestations of viral infections (both per se and secondary to the neuroinflammatory reaction of the host) are mainly attributed to immunological reactions, so many aspects of their pathogenesis are still nuclear. Some novel therapeutic strategies are progressively emerging in which a vaccination may be having a particular impact on recovery and reduction of death. In this context, it is accepted that the SARS-CoV-2 virus is profoundly neurotropic and neuroinvasive, with various effects on the nervous system, although there is no complete understanding of the mechanism of neuroinvasion, brain injury, or short- or long-term neuropsychiatric sequelae. Therefore, it is necessary to understand the post-infectious manifestations of COVID-19 to guide the management of neuropsychiatric diseases. Thus, based on different research groups focused on this field, in this manuscript we summarize papers on COVID-19 and the nervous system (NS) published in a series of articles by Cuban authors. This review focuses on cognitive and affective emotional states, pathogenesis, biomarkers, clinical manifestations, and intervention strategies.

Possible Role of Cannabis in the Management of Neuroinflammation in Patients with Post-COVID Condition

“…Neurological manifestations are major complications of PCC, affecting one-third of patients, with symptoms persisting for more than a month post-COVID-19 infection [33]. According to the above findings, the patients with PCC exhibited a series of symptoms related to reactive gliosis and neuroinflammation in the CNS, including neuropsychiatric manifestations such as fatigue, 'brain fog' (characterized by short-term memory loss and difficulty concentrating), headache, drowsiness, cognitive impairment, sleep disorders, mood changes, disorders of smell or taste, myalgias, anxiety, posttraumatic stress, depression, sleep disturbances, sensorimotor deficits (neuropathy, paresthesia, weakness, and myalgia), and dysautonomia [1,2,[34][35][36][37][38]. Among the PCC symptoms, prolonged cognitive dysfunction is one of the most common impairments affecting between 17 and 28% of the individuals, and in some cases, persisting for several years.…”