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Updated: Mar 20, 2026
Statistical Modelling of Cortical Connectivity Using Non-invasive Electroencephalograms
Published on: November 1, 2019
EEG Signatures of COVID-19 Survival compared to close contacts and the Cuban EEG normative database
Ana Calzada-Reyes1,2,3, Lidice Galán-García2,3, Trinidad Virués-Alba2
1The Clinical Hospital of Chengdu Brain Sciences Institute, University of Electronic Science and Technology of China, Chengdu, China.
Objective:
This study compared EEG findings in COVID-19 survivors, close contacts, and a normative database using visual EEG inspection, quantitative EEG (QEEG), and source density analysis.
Methods:
Resting-state EEG, QEEG, and VARETA inverse solution were analyzed in 173 participants (87 COVID-19 cases, 86 close contacts) alongside the Cuban EEG normative database. Clinical evaluations included neurological exams and neuropsychiatric assessments.
Results:
COVID-19 survivors showed significant EEG abnormalities, including background abnormalities, focal abnormalities and diffuse slow activity. QEEG revealed excess theta, alpha, and beta activity in COVID-19 and symptomatic groups, while close contacts had elevated alpha and beta. EEG source analysis identified functional impairments in key brain regions: COVID-19 patients had abnormalities in the supramarginal and angular gyri, while close contacts showed abnormalities in the supramarginal, postcentral, and superior temporal gyri. Symptomatic individuals exhibited superior temporal gyrus abnormalities, whereas asymptomatic cases had impairments in the supramarginal, angular, and postcentral gyri.
Conclusions:
Long-term COVID-19 impacts brain function, with QEEG and VARETA revealing region-specific vulnerabilities linked to viral exposure. These tools help assess neurological dysfunction in post-COVID cases.
Significance:
This approach is crucial for understanding the COVID-19 long-term effects on brain function and guiding potential therapeutic interventions.
