Scientists have found a big clue as to why some people with COVID-19 develop Parkinson’s and dementia symptoms, and more importantly, what to do about it.
Professor Trent Woodruff from UQ’s School of Biomedical Sciences said when the virus got into the brain it activated the brain’s immune cells, known as microglia, which then caused inflammation. They discovered some microglia did not react strongly to the virus, but when there were proteins in the blood samples which were associated with Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, the inflammatory response was strong.
The implication the researchers have drawn from the results is that people who were predisposed to Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s have their condition “accelerated” by the body’s immune response to SARS-CoV-2 entering their brain.