”My memory has gotten worse since the coronavirus outbreak... The reason is clear” - Korean media

As more and more people report experiencing memory loss after contracting COVID-19, the cause has now been scientifically elucidated for the first time: the spike protein (S1) of the COVID-19 virus.
On the 10th, the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) and the National Institute of Health (NIH) announced that they have scientifically clarified the causes of "cognitive disorders" such as decreased concentration and memory reported after COVID-19 infection through animal experiments.
Research has shown that the spike protein (S1) of the COVID-19 virus reaches the brain, disrupting the function of the connections between nerve cells (synapses) and inhibiting NMDA receptors, which are important for memory formation.
It was found to decrease gene expression of the receptor, and also increased the accumulation of toxic proteins (tau and alpha-synuclein) associated with dementia and Parkinson's disease.
In an experiment, the research team administered S1 protein intranasally to mice, which resulted in improved learning and memory abilities, such as a longer time to find a hidden platform.
The researchers observed a decrease in cognitive function and increased anxiety in unknown spaces. This is similar to the cognitive decline seen after COVID-19 infection. Furthermore, six weeks after administration, the brain (hippocampus) showed a decrease in neurons.
The researchers also found that the number of cells in the brain decreased and that the accumulation of pathological proteins seen in neurodegenerative diseases was also confirmed, suggesting the possibility of long-term brain damage.
The study showed that metformin, a widely used diabetes medication, can help restore nerve cell function and reduce the accumulation of toxic proteins.
This is significant as it is the first scientific evidence showing the possibility of treating cognitive impairment that occurs after infection.
"It is of great significance that we have clarified the pathological mechanism of cognitive impairment that appears in this study and demonstrated the possibility that metformin, which is widely used in actual clinical practice, can suppress this," he said. "In the future, we will continue to work on clinical research.
"Through research, we need to examine the possibility of using it as a treatment for chronic coronavirus syndrome (coronavirus sequelae), such as decreased concentration and memory," he said.
Kim Jeongyeon, head of the Treatment and Clinical Research Division at the National Institute of Infectious Diseases, said, "From August 2022, we will start the 'Chronic Corona' program.
"Through the 'Chrono-coronavirus Syndrome Research Project,' we are conducting research into the actual state of chronic coronavirus syndrome in Japan and the mechanisms that cause it, while also conducting clinical trials to discover treatments," he said.
"We will prepare the scientific evidence necessary for patient management and share it promptly," said Lim Seung-kang, director of the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "We need to study patients who suffer from long-term symptoms even after contracting COVID-19."
He emphasized that "we will continue to support research to formulate evidence-based infectious disease policies and research into brain diseases."