A review of pathophysiology and neuropsychiatric manifestations of COVID-19

Introduction: The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has become one of the most serious pandemics of the recent times. Since this pandemic began, there have been numerous reports about the COVID-19 involvement of the nervous system. There have been reports of both direct and indirect involvement of the central and peripheral nervous system by the virus.

Objective: To review the neuropsychiatric manifestations along with corresponding pathophysiologic mechanisms of nervous system involvement by the COVID-19.

Background: Since the beginning of the disease in humans in the later part of 2019, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has rapidly spread across the world with over 2,719,000 reported cases in over 200 countries [World Health Organization. Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) situation report-96.,]. While patients typically present with fever, shortness of breath, sore throat, and cough, neurologic manifestations have been reported, as well. These include the ones with both direct and indirect involvement of the nervous system. The reported manifestations include anosmia, ageusia, central respiratory failure, stroke, acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (AIDP), acute necrotizing hemorrhagic encephalopathy, toxic-metabolic encephalopathy, headache, myalgia, myelitis, ataxia, and various neuropsychiatric manifestations. These data were derived from the published clinical data in various journals and case reports.

Conclusion: The neurological manifestations of the COVID-19 are varied and the data about this continue to evolve as the pandemic continues to progress.