UK study says even mild COVID-19 can reduce brain size
March 8, 2022, 3:46 am

UK study says even mild COVID-19 can reduce brain size

UK study says that even mild forms of COVID-19 can cause a reduction in brain size (File photo: Pixabay)

The Arab News reported, according to scientists in the UK that even mild forms of COVID-19 can cause a reduction in brain size.

It said that they scanned the brains of over 400 people who had previously had COVID-19, most of them mild cases.

They found that the overall brain size in infected participants had shrunk between 0.2 and 2 percent, and patients experienced losses in grey matter in the olfactory areas, linked to smell, and regions linked to memory.

The apparent effect of this was that those who had recently recovered from COVID-19 found it a bit harder to perform complex mental tasks.

The study was published on Monday in the science journal Nature. Lead author of the study Professor Gwenaelle Douaud, from Oxford University’s Wellcome Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging said: “We were looking at essentially mild infection, so to see that we could really see some differences in their brain and how much their brain had changed compared with those who had not been infected was quite a surprise.”

COVID-19-Face mask (File photo: Pixabay)

The study used biological information from a separate project, the UK Biobank, which has followed the health of 500,000 people for about 15 years and has a database of scans recorded before the pandemic — providing a unique opportunity to study the long-term health impacts of the virus.

Scientists also do not know whether there is any variation in the effect that COVID-19 variants have on the brain — the research was carried out when the original virus and alpha variant were most common.

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Researchers also do not know yet whether these changes are permanent, but Douaud said: “We need to bear in mind that the brain is really plastic — by that we mean it can heal itself — so there is a really good chance that, over time, the harmful effects of infection will ease.”

Source: arabnews

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”