16 • BrainMatters • Fall/Winter 2022
RRI scientists are now concerned that the lingering effects of COVID -19 can
ultimately increase the risk of Alzheimer's disease and other forms of dementia.
SUPPORTING OLDER ADULTS DURING
THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC & BEYOND
We know that COVID-19 can affect our respiratory
systems but it may also affect our brains.
Research from Baycrest's Rotman Research Institute
(RRI) and elsewhere shows that the COVID-19 virus
can enter through one's nose and attack the brain,
resulting in long-term neurological symptoms, such as
trouble thinking and memory loss. RRI scientists are
now concerned that the lingering effects of COVID-19
can ultimately increase the risk of Alzheimer's disease
and other forms of dementia.
Patients who have had COVID-19 are experiencing
brain-related symptoms, ranging from headaches to
anxiety, depression, hallucinations and changes in
smell and taste.
BRAIN STRUCTURE AND FUNCTION
A team of scientists at the RRI, led by Dr. Allison
Sekuler, President and Chief Scientist at the Baycrest
Academy for Research and Education, and Sandra
A. Rotman Chair in Cognitive Neuroscience at the
RRI, has collaborated with colleagues at Sunnybrook
Health Sciences to examine the effects of COVID-19
on brain structure and function.
In a small study, they conducted sensory,
cognitive, and clinical assessments, along with
electroencephalography (EEG) testing and magnetic
resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain in 41 recovered
COVID-19 patients and people who experienced
COVID-like symptoms but tested negative.
