Date

7-31-2023

Department

School of Nursing

Degree

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

Chair

Kenneth D. Thompson

Keywords

COVID-19, SARS-Cov-2, brain function, brain fog, cognitive function, brain damage, neurologic damage, hard to concentrate, memory loss, long-COVID

Disciplines

Nursing

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic, resulting from the SARS-CoV-2 virus, continues to impact the daily lives of individuals worldwide. Although research has been conducted on long-COVID symptoms, the underlying causes remain unclear. Notably, instances of neurological decline have been observed following SARS-CoV-2 infections. 125,573 articles regarding neurological damage and cognitive disfunction were published and can be found from major research databases. For this scholarly project, 25 peer-reviewed journal articles pertaining to long-COVID and neurologic function changes, as well as potential underlying reasons for these changes, were curated. The proposed hypotheses include the virus' ability to pass through and harm the blood-brain barrier and neuronal cells, the release of neurochemicals associated with the SARS-CoV-2 antibody spike protein, as well as vascular ischemia, hypoxia of the brain, and other organs. Urgent attention is required to conduct further research on the treatment of chronic neurologic function changes resulting from long-COVID.

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Nursing Commons

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