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Table 1 Pathophysiological processes contributing to increased risk of chronic neurological disease, including dementia, in COVID-19 patients

From: Cognitive impact of COVID-19: looking beyond the short term

 

References

1. Hypoxia and cerebral hypoperfusion secondary to cardiorespiratory disease

[25, 26]

 - Hypoxic-ischaemic brain injury, diffuse white matter damage

 

2. Coagulopathy, with thrombotic occlusion of cerebral blood vessels

[22]

 - Cerebral artery thrombosis, disseminated intravascular coagulation

 

3. Cerebral microvascular damage and dysfunction

[23, 24]

 - Endotheliitis, pericyte damage, BBB leakiness, neurovascular dysfunction, impaired autoregulation, impaired vascular/para-vascular drainage

 

4. Dysregulation of renin-angiotensin system

[125,126,127, 160, 161]

 - Loss of regulatory RAS and overactivity of classical RAS signalling

 

5. SARS-CoV-2 encephalitis / post-infective encephalitis (rare)

[27, 28, 38], reviewed in [5]

 - CNS viral neuroinvasion via olfactory nerve fibres or vasculature/post-infective immune injury to CNS

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