COVID-19, Neuropathology, and Aging: SARS-CoV-2 Neurological Infection, Mechanism, and Associated Complications

The spectrum of health complications instigated by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19, caused by the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 or SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has been diverse and complex. Besides the evident pulmonary and cardiovascular threats, accumulating clinical data points...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Rajkumar Singh Kalra, Jaspreet Kaur Dhanjal, Avtar Singh Meena, Vishal C. Kalel, Surya Dahiya, Birbal Singh, Saikat Dewanjee, Ramesh Kandimalla
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2021-06-01
Series:Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnagi.2021.662786/full
Description
Summary:The spectrum of health complications instigated by coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19, caused by the novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 or SARS-CoV-2) pandemic has been diverse and complex. Besides the evident pulmonary and cardiovascular threats, accumulating clinical data points to several neurological complications, which are more common in elderly COVID-19 patients. Recent pieces of evidence have marked events of neuro infection and neuroinvasion, producing several neurological complications in COVID-19 patients; however, a systematic understanding of neuro-pathophysiology and manifested neurological complications, more specifically in elderly COVID-19 patients is largely elusive. Since the elderly population gradually develops neurological disorders with aging, COVID-19 inevitably poses a higher risk of neurological manifestations to the aged patients. In this report, we reviewed SARS-CoV-2 infection and its role in neurological manifestations with an emphasis on the elderly population. We reviewed neuropathological events including neuroinfection, neuroinvasion, and their underlying mechanisms affecting neuromuscular, central- and peripheral- nervous systems. We further assessed the imminent neurological challenges in the COVID-19 exposed population, post-SARS-CoV-2-infection. Given the present state of clinical preparedness, the emerging role of AI and machine learning was also discussed concerning COVID-19 diagnostics and its management. Taken together, the present review summarizes neurological outcomes of SARS-CoV-2 infection and associated complications, specifically in elderly patients, and underlines the need for their clinical management in advance.
ISSN:1663-4365