Psychiatric face of COVID-19

Abstract: The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) represents a severe multiorgan pathology which, besides cardio-respiratory manifestations, affects the function of the central nervous system (CNS). The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), similarly to other coronaviruses demonstrate neurotropism; the viral infection of the brain stem may complicate the course of the disease through damaging central cardio-respiratory control. The systemic inflammation as well as neuroinflammatory changes are associated with massive increase of the brain pro-inflammatory molecules, neuroglial reactivity, altered neurochemical landscape and pathological remodelling of neuronal networks. These organic changes, emerging in concert with environmental stress caused by experiences of intensive therapy wards, pandemic fears and social restrictions, promote neuropsychiatric pathologies including major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder (BD), various psychoses, obsessive-compulsive disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder. The neuropsychiatric sequelae of COVID-19 represent serious clinical challenge that has to be considered for future complex therapies.

Citation

Translational Psychiatry, volume 10, issue 1, page 261

Publisher

Nature Publishing Group UK

URI

http://hdl.handle.net/10034/625433

Type

article

Description

From Springer Nature via Jisc Publications Router
History: received 2020-06-02, rev-recd 2020-07-07, accepted 2020-07-14, registration 2020-07-22, pub-electronic 2020-07-30, online 2020-07-30, collection 2020-12
Publication status: Published