Cuba studies neurological disorders caused by COVID-19

HAVANA, Cuba, Mar 18 (ACN) The Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery "Dr. Rafael Estrada Gonzalez" (INN) plans to start soon a study of neurological manifestations associated with the COVID-19 pandemic in recovered patients from Plaza de la Revolucion municipality in Havana.

Doctor in Medical Sciences Joel Gutierrez Gil, president of the Scientific Council of Clinical Neurophysiology of the INN, explained the study will determine in what percentage of the patients with the disease neurological manifestations appear, their intensity and their possible sequels.
The research will be developed through a survey, created in mobile application form by the Department of Cybernetics of the Center for Neurosciences of Cuba (CNEURO).

Some 15 specialists, including neurologists, psychiatrists and neuropsychologists, will apply the survey to determine the existence of alterations in the functioning of the central and peripheral nervous system, the expert explained.

This tool will evaluate the appearance of very frequent symptoms such as headache and loss of smell, and others such as visual and autonomic nervous system alterations, which are less explored.

Once the neurological alterations have been identified, the specialist pointed out, those affected will be subjected to other tests to characterize in greater detail the severity and evolutionary course of such damage.

Gutierrez Gil, who is also a titular professor and researcher, emphasized that this research has the advantage of analyzing how post-COVID neurological alterations have evolutioned over a period of time of several months and up to a year, in some cases.

During 2020, the INN also participated in a study with CNEURO, in which, in addition to the survey, brain electrical activity was explored in 87 convalescents and a control group of 50 healthy individuals suspected of suffering from the coronavirus but in whom the PCR study was negative.

The research showed that the neurological alterations most commonly associated with the coronavirus are headache, alterations in taste and smell, chronic fatigue (which can sometimes prevent performing daily life actions), diarrhea and cardiac arrhythmias, the Cuban academician affirmed.

A high incidence of visual damage was also found, as up to 20 % reported a decrease in visual acuity and 30 % had dizziness related to the infection.

The Cuban protocol includes the hospitalization and follow-up of all those positive for the virus, which allows us to also analyze patients with mild or moderate forms of the disease, who constitute the majority group, which in turn provides us with a more comprehensive diagnosis of the disease, the expert continued.