Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix to study if COVID increases the risk for Alzheimer’s
Aug 22, 2024, 4:05 AM | Updated: 6:29 am
Barrow Neurological Institute is launching a study to determine if long COVID is a risk factor for developing Alzheimer's disease.(Barrow Neurological Institute Facebook photo)
(Barrow Neurological Institute Facebook photo)
PHOENIX — Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix is launching a study to determine if long COVID is a risk factor for developing Alzheimer’s disease.
The study is also looking to evaluate the impact of COVID-19 on neurological function and the health outcomes of having it, according to a news release.
Dr. Marwan Sabbagh, who is a co-leader of the study, joined KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Arizona’s Morning News Wednesday and discussed what Barrow Neurological Institute hopes to achieve from the study.
“We know a lot of people that complain, even well after their symptoms have gone away, like the cough and fatigue have gone, they still feel the brain fog and it can be a very enduring and a very problematic symptom,” Sabbagh said.
“So we are going to do a very deep study of these participants to see if it really causes long-term brain injury. We’re going to look at their spinal fluid, the scans, the memory tests and we’re going to compare that to a similar age group with Alzheimer’s.”
Sabbagh said the study is looking to see how inflammatory reactions from COVID impacts the brain.
“When you get COVID, in some people, they get a severe inflammatory reaction and that inflammatory reaction attacks the brain,” Sabbagh said. “What we are trying to determine is how much injury has occurred from the inflammatory reaction to the virus, not the virus itself.”
Sabbagh hopes the study can see if long COVID could cause Alzheimer’s and other cognitive disorders.
“We don’t think COVID itself causes Alzheimer’s but we think it can cause the dementia that looks like Alzheimer’s,” Sabbagh said.
Barrow is looking for participants 50 to 90 years old, who have had COVID-19 and are continuing to experience symptoms such as brain fog, difficulties in remembering things and staying focused. Researchers are also seeking patients who have recently been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease, according to the release.
People who are interested in participating in the study can email MovementResearch@DignityHealth.org or call 602-406-4280.
