Neurological Involvements in COVID-19: A hospital-based study

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Infectious Diseases
• Internal Medicine

Background:

• The SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) pandemic presents significant global health challenges.
• Beyond pulmonary issues, COVID-19 exhibits diverse extrapulmonary manifestations, including neurological complications.
• Understanding these neurological effects and their predictors is crucial for patient management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the frequency of neurological manifestations in COVID-19 patients.
• To identify risk factors associated with neurological signs in individuals with COVID-19.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective, descriptive study was conducted.
• Data from 95 patients with confirmed COVID-19 and neurological involvement were analyzed.
• Information included demographics, comorbidities, neurological symptoms/signs, and laboratory findings.

Main Results:

• Neurological symptoms were prevalent, reported in 91.6% of patients (e.g., fatigue, headache, dizziness).
• Neurological signs occurred in 10.5% of patients, with gait disorders and cerebrovascular accidents noted.
• Positive troponin (OR=21), high WBC count (OR=20.75), and respiratory disease history (OR=7.42) were significant predictors of neurological signs.

Conclusions:

• Neurological symptoms are extremely common in COVID-19 patients.
• Specific clinical and laboratory markers, including positive troponin, elevated WBC, and prior respiratory disease, strongly predict the occurrence of neurological signs.