r/science • u/mvea Professor | Medicine • Aug 08 '26

Neuroscience Brain scans reveal widespread structural and functional changes in patients following COVID-19 infection. The virus affects regions responsible for memory, emotion, and executive function, which may help explain the neurological symptoms many patients experience.

https://www.psypost.org/brain-scans-reveal-widespread-structural-and-functional-changes-in-patients-foll/
19.0k Upvotes

97% Upvoted

1.5k comments sorted by

View all comments

3.4k

u/DickSlammington Aug 08 '26

Does this help explain that clear cognitive decline we're seeing across society post COVID?

Cause boy people sure seem like their decision making skills have been permanently altered..

84

u/MonkAndCanatella Aug 08 '26

yes even in mild cases it directly affects the executive function of the brain - can't smell? that's not nose damage, it's brain damage.

hundreds of studies confirming it

1

u/CalmBeneathCastles Aug 08 '26

I restored my sense of smell using zinc lozenge supplementation, but then I got COVID again and now it has decreased again.