• Yike Sun, Jingnan Sun, Xiaogang Chen, Yijun Wang, and Xiaorong Gao.
• The School of Biomedical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.
• Bmc Med. 2024 Jun 20; 22 (1): 257257.

BackgroundCurrent research on the neurological impact of SARS-CoV-2 primarily focuses on the elderly or severely ill individuals. This study aims to explore the diverse neurological consequences of SARS-CoV-2 infection, with a particular focus on mildly affected children and adolescents.MethodsA cohort study was conducted to collect pre- and post-infection resting-state electroencephalogram (EEG) data from 185 participants and 181 structured questionnaires of long-term symptoms across four distinct age groups. The goal was to comprehensively evaluate the impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection on these different age demographics. The study analyzed EEG changes of SARS-CoV-2 by potential biomarkers across age groups using both spatial and temporal approaches.ResultsSpatial analysis indicated that children and adolescents exhibit smaller changes in brain network and microstate patterns post-infection, implying a milder cognitive impact. Sequential linear analyses showed that SARS-CoV-2 infection is associated with a marked rise in low-complexity, synchronized neural activity within low-frequency EEG bands. This is evidenced by a significant increase in Hjorth activity within the theta band and Hjorth mobility in the delta band. Sequential nonlinear analysis indicated a significant reduction in the Hurst exponent across all age groups, pointing to increased chaos and complexity within the cognitive system following infection. Furthermore, linear regression analysis based on questionnaires established a significant positive relationship between the magnitude of changes in these neural indicators and the persistence of long-term symptoms post-infection.ConclusionsThe findings underscore the enduring neurological impacts of SARS-CoV-2 infection, marked by cognitive decline and increased EEG disarray. Although children and adolescents experienced milder effects, cognitive decline and heightened low-frequency electrical activity were evident. These observations might contribute to understanding potential anxiety, insomnia, and neurodevelopmental implications.© 2024. The Author(s).

27 keywords...

hide…