Stress can lead to lack of sleep or depression. Many of these causes come in pairs, or even trios. Vitamin and mineral deficiencies (such as vitamin B12).Other hormone changes (for example, thyroid problems).Hormone changes during the transition to menopause.Here are a few of the most common causes: Most of them are far less scary than Alzheimer’s disease. “It’s important to remember that there are lots of causes for brain fog,” says Lynne Shinto, N.D., M.P.H., a naturopath with expertise in neurology and women’s health at the OHSU Center for Women’s Health. For people in their late forties and early fifties, the onset of menopause can bring even more brain fog and memory lapses.īut the big question is: when should you worry that something is wrong? Is it just menopause, or might it be early warning signs of Alzheimer’s disease or dementia? As we age, these moments of forgetfulness happen more often. Even in our twenties, we might lose our keys or forget the name of someone we just met. However, it is worrying that some other disorders, such as dementia and seizures, continue to be more likely diagnosed after Covid-19, even two years later.We all forget things. Prof Paul Harrison, who led the study at the University of Oxford, said: “It is good news that the excess of depression and anxiety diagnoses after Covid-19 is short-lived, and that it is not observed in children. It also did not look at the severity or length of conditions after Covid-19 and how they compare with other respiratory infections. The study may underrepresent self-diagnosed and asymptomatic cases of Covid-19 as these are unlikely to be recorded. The researchers cautioned that there were some important limitations to consider. The Omicron wave was linked with similar neurological and psychiatric risks as Delta. More neurological and psychiatric disorders were seen during the Delta variant wave than with the prior Alpha variant.

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Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. However, like adults, children recovering from Covid-19 were more likely to be diagnosed with some conditions, including seizures and psychotic disorders. The likelihood of most diagnoses after Covid-19 was lower than in adults, and they were not at greater risk of anxiety or depression than children who had other respiratory infections. Results in children showed similarities and differences to adults. In those aged 65 and over who had Covid-19, there was a higher occurrence of brain fog (1,540 cases per 10,000 people), dementia (450 cases per 10,000 people) and psychotic disorders (85 cases per 10,000 people) compared with those who previously had a different respiratory infection (1,230 cases per 10,000 for brain fog, 330 cases per 10,000 for dementia and 60 cases per 10,000 for psychotic disorder). However, the risk of some other neurological and mental health conditions remained higher after Covid-19 than for other respiratory infections at the end of the two-year follow-up.Īdults aged 64 and under who had Covid-19 had a higher risk of brain fog (640 cases per 10,000 people) compared with those who had other respiratory infections (550 cases per 10,000 people). It found that in adults the risk of depression or anxiety increased after Covid-19 but returned to the same as with other respiratory infections within about two months. The study analysed data on 14 neurological and psychiatric diagnoses from electronic health records mostly from the US. The results have implications for patients and health services and highlight the need for more research to understand why this happens after Covid-19, and what can be done to prevent these disorders from occurring, or treat them when they do.” The new study, by the University of Oxford and the National Institute for Health and Care Research Oxford Health Biomedical Research Centre, analysed 1.28m Covid-19 cases over two years.ĭr Max Taquet, who led the analyses at the University of Oxford, said: “The findings shed new light on the longer-term mental and brain health consequences for people following Covid-19 infection.

Until now, however, there has been no large-scale data examining the risks over a longer time period. Previous studies have found that people face higher risks of several neurological and mental health conditions in the first six months after infection. Almost 600m Covid-19 cases have been recorded worldwide since the start of the pandemic, and there has been growing evidence that people who survive the disease face increased risks of neurological and psychiatric conditions.

Covid brain fog depression