EEG Signatures of COVID-19 Survival compared to close contacts and the Cuban EEG normative database
Authors: Calzada-Reyes Ana , Galán-García Lidice , Virués-Alba Trinidad , Charroó-Ruiz Lidia , Perez-Mayo Laura , Bringas-Vega Maria Luisa , Ren Peng , Bosh-Bayard Jorge , Acosta-Imas Yanely , Vega-Hernández Mayrim , Ontiveros-Ortega Marlis , Hernandez Janet Perodin , Aubert-Vazquez Eduardo , Paz-Linares Deirel , Gutiérrez-Gil Joel , Caballero-Moreno Antonio , Valdés-Virués Annette , Valdés-Sosa Mitchell , Rodriguez-Labrada Roberto , Valdes-Sosa Pedro 
Published: June 2024

Background

The EEG constitutes a powerful neuroimaging technique for assessing functional brain impairment in COVID-19 patients.

Objective

The current investigation compared the EEG among COVID-19 survivors, close contacts and the Cuban EEG normative database, using semi-quantitative visual EEG inspection, quantitative and the current source density measures EEG analysis.

Methods

The resting-state EEG activity, quantitative QEEG, and VARETA inverse solution, were evaluated in 173 subjects: 87 patients confirmed cases by the positive reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), 86 close contacts (negative PCR) and the Cuban EEG normative database. All patients were physical, neurological, and clinically assessed using neurological retrospective survey and version 2.1 of the Schedules for Clinical Assessment in Neuropsychiatry (SCAN).

Results

The GTE score showed significant differences in terms of frequency scores of backgrounds rhythmic activity, diffuse slow activity, and focal abnormality. The QEEG analysis showed a pattern of abnormality with respect to the Cuban EEG normative values, displaying an excess of alpha and beta activities in the fronto-central-parietal areas in both groups. The anomalies, of COVID-19 patients and close contacts, differs in the right fronto-centro parietal area. The COVID 19 group differed-s from the close control group in theta band of the right parieto-central. The symptomatic group of COVID-19 patients differs from asymptomatic patients in delta and theta activities of the parieto-central region. The sources of activation using VARETA showed a difference in cortical activation patterns at alpha and beta frequencies in the groups studied with respect to the normative EEG database. In beta frequency were localized in right middle temporal gyrus in both groups and right angular gyrus in Covid 19 group only. In alpha band, the regions were the left supramarginal gyrus for Covid 19 group and the left superior temporal gyrus for Control group. Greater activation was found in the right middle temporal gyrus at alpha frequency in COVID-19 patients than in their close contacts.

Conclusions

Brain functions are impaired in long COVID-19 patients. QEEG and VARETA permit us to comprehend the susceptibility of particular brain regions exposed to viral illness.

Highlights

Background frequency abnormalities diffuse slow activity and focal abnormality associated with a pattern of excess oftheta, alpha and beta energies in in the right fronto-centro-parietal regions in QEEG analysis characterizedCOVID-19 patients.

Patients with COVID-19 show more alpha and beta EEG activities related to normative EEG database.

Patients with COVID-19 and close contacts show high cortical activation in temporo-parietal areas in alpha and beta bands compared to normative EEG database.

Patients with COVID-19 (positive PCR) have high activation in the right middle frontal gyrus for alpha band related to close contacts.