Human brain's cerebellum affected more than other regions from Covid
According to a recent study using a cutting-edge MRI method, the cerebellum of the human brain is more susceptible to Covid infections than other parts of the brain.
Covid can cause alterations in the brain, according to a study from Toronto, Canada’s Rotman Research Institute and Sunnybrook Hospital.
The Study
At the University of Waterloo in Canada, systems design engineering professor Alexander Wong created the novel imaging method known as correlated diffusion imaging (CDI).
According to a study published in the journal Human Brain Mapping, CDI, a new type of MRI, can better emphasise the variations in how water molecules travel in tissue by recording and combining MRI signals at varying gradient pulse strengths and timings. Wong had already created CDI as a more effective imaging technique for identifying cancer.
The frontal lobe white matter (in the cerebrum of the brain) CDI imaging showed a less constrained diffusion of water molecules in COVID-19 patients. The cerebellum of individuals with COVID-19 displayed a more limited diffusion of water molecules at the same time.
Some people might believe that COVID-19 just affects the lungs, said Wong.
“What was discovered is that this novel MRI method we developed is quite effective in detecting changes in the brain caused by COVID-19. The brain’s white matter is altered by COVID-19.
By preserving and combining MRI signals at various gradient pulse strengths and timings, CDI, a novel type of MRI, can better emphasizes the variations in how water molecules flow in tissue, according to a study published in the journal Human Brain Mapping.
As a more effective imaging technique for identifying cancer, Wong has earlier developed CDI.
Patients with COVID-19 had less constrained water molecule diffusion, according to CDI imaging of frontal lobe white matter (in the brain’s cerebrum). Additionally, it demonstrated a more constrained transport of water molecules in the cerebellum of COVID-19 patients.
