Avindra Nath, clinical director of the U.S. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, who was not involved in the research said, “It is a very novel study with conclusive data,” and “The findings are very intriguing, with important implications for the population at large.”
Dr. Serena Spudich, chief of neurological infections and global neurology at the Yale School of Medicine, who was not involved in the study said, “To me, this is pretty convincing evidence that something changes in brains of this overall group of people with Covid,”
“It opens up all sorts of questions that other researchers can follow up about the effect of coronavirus infection on cognitive function, on brain fog, and other areas of the brain – and to focus research on how best to mitigate that.” UK Biobank chief scientist Prof Naomi Allen said.
Experts in Australia and New Zealand have appreciated the study,
Professor Paul Parizel holds the David Hartley Chair in Radiology at the Royal Perth Hospital and the University of Western Australia, said, “This is a landmark study. Not only does it document the impact of the SARS-CoV-19 virus on brain tissue, but it also demonstrates the tremendous scientific potential of big data analytics applied to brain MRI scans.
“The findings of the study are remarkable,” said Dr. Sarah Hellewell is a Research Fellow in the Curtin University Faculty of Health Sciences and the Perron Institute for Neurological and Translational Science.
Professor Trichur Vidyasagar is Head of the Visual & Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory in the Department of Optometry & Vision Sciences at the University of Melbourne, and an Honorary Professorial Fellow at the Florey Department of Neuroscience & Mental Health said, “This is as good a study as is possible to evaluate the effects over time of SARS-CoV-2 infection on the brain after supposedly ‘recovering’ from COVID-19.” and he added, “The study suggests that long-term effects of COVID-19 on the brain are not to be taken lightly even in those with the milder disease who did not need hospitalization during the acute illness.”