Neuro‐COVID‐19
Takayoshi Shimohata
Abstract
Neuromuscular manifestations of new coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection are frequent, and include dizziness, headache, myopathy, and olfactory and gustatory disturbances. Patients with acute central nervous system disorders, such as delirium, impaired consciousness, stroke and convulsive seizures, have a high mortality rate. The encephalitis/encephalopathy that causes consciousness disturbance and seizures can be classified into three conditions, including direct infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus, encephalopathy caused by central nervous system damage secondary to systemic hypercytokinemia (cytokine storm) and autoimmune-mediated encephalitis that occurs after infection. The sequelae, called post-acute COVID-19 syndrome or long COVID, include neuromuscular manifestations, such as anxiety, depression, sleep disturbance, muscle weakness, brain fog and cognitive impairment. It is desirable to establish diagnostic criteria and treatment for these symptoms. Vaccine-induced thrombotic thrombocytopenia, Guillain-Barré syndrome, bilateral facial paralysis, encephalitis and opsoclonus-myoclonus syndrome have been reported as adverse reactions after the COVID-19 vaccine, although these are rare.