Brain Mat

Scientists have discovered that COVID-19 can directly infect key brain cells responsible for dopamine production, driving them into an aged, 'zombie-like' state.

Researchers have uncovered a striking biological mechanism explaining why many individuals experience persistent brain fog, chronic fatigue, and loss of motivation following a COVID-19 infection.

Studies demonstrate that SARS-CoV-2 can directly target midbrain dopamine neurons—the specialized cells responsible for regulating movement, focus, and reward pathways. Upon infection, these neurons stop functioning normally and enter a state known as cellular senescence. Rather than dying, the infected dopamine cells become non-functional 'zombie' cells, halting dopamine production while actively secreting chemical signals that trigger ongoing localized inflammation.

This unexpected transformation mirrors biological pathways commonly seen in age-related neurodegenerative conditions like Parkinson's disease. By proving that dopamine neurons are uniquely susceptible to the virus, the findings provide a tangible target for medical interventions. Encouragingly, laboratory screens revealed that certain FDA-approved medications can prevent infection and rescue these damaged cells, opening promising new avenues for treating lingering neurological symptoms in long COVID patients.

source: Yang, L., Kim, T. W., Han, Y., Nair, M. S., Harschnitz, O., Zhu, J., Wang, P., Koo, S. Y., Lacko, L. A., ... Chen, S. SARS-CoV-2 infection causes dopaminergic neuron senescence. Cell Stem Cell, 31(2), 196-211.

Things That Make You Go Hmmm🤔

🦜When Birds Imitate PANDAS🐼

An Exposure to a very close contact with clinical signs of sickness and lungs full of the causative pathogen does not result in a clinically evident spread of infection as seen in the contact close or PCR evidence of the causative pathogen being present BUT it does cause an immune system Dysregulation that in at least some is fatal.



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