Grandparents killed in wrong-way crash on Hwy. 401 identified
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Experts are warning that the COVID-19 pandemic could usher in a wave of increased dementia and Alzheimer’s worldwide through the ‘Trojan horse’ of neurological symptoms associated with long COVID, also known as long-haul COVID-19.
Alzheimer’s Disease International (ADI), which represents more than 100 Alzheimer’s and dementia associations, is calling on the World Health Organization and governments across the globe to invest funding into more research on the link between long COVID cases and dementia.
In a press release, ADI explained that even before COVID-19, it was predicted that dementia cases would rise from 55 million to 78 million by 2030, and associated health-care costs could rise to $3.5 trillion annually.
Now, experts believe millions more than that could face an accelerated risk of dementia due to COVID-19’s impact on the brain.
“Many dementia experts around the globe are seriously concerned by the link between dementia and the neurological symptoms of COVID-19,” Paola Barbarino, CEO of ADI, said in the release.
“We urge the WHO, governments and research institutions across the globe to prioritise and commit more funding to research and establish resources in this space, to avoid being further overwhelmed by the oncoming pandemic of dementia.”
Dementia is a general term describing symptoms that affect memory and executive functioning. A person with dementia may struggle to remember things, process thoughts and make decisions in a way that interferes with day-to-day activity. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common type of dementia. According to Alzheimer’s Association, more than 747,000 Canadians live with dementia.
Dr. Alireza Atri, a leading expert in dementia, and part of a working group of scientists looking to study this issue, told CTVNews.ca over email that he first started to notice the problem last fall, when several patients in their 50s showed fast deterioration of their cognitive functions.
“All had been ill with COVID – mostly with mild illness, though one had been in the hospital for four days — a few months prior to the steep decline in their cognitive functions,” he said. "None of the patients or their family members had thought to link COVID with their mental decline.”
Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, many of those who survive the virus have reported lasting cognitive impairment. A June survey looking at 1,000 Canadians who previously tested positive for COVID-19 found that more than 80 per cent of respondents had cognitive symptoms last for at least three months, while almost half said that their symptoms had lasted 11 months or longer.
Other studies have found that those hospitalized with COVID-19 experienced neurological symptoms, with one study across 13 countries finding that 82 per cent reported neurological issues.
And new research revealed at the recent Alzheimer’s Association International Conference found specific biomarkers associated with dementia and Alzheimer’s in patients hospitalized with COVID-19.
In the study, which looked at plasma samples from 310 COVID-19 patients admitted to New York University Langone Health, researchers observed that biomarkers of neuronal injury, neuroinflammation and Alzheimer’s disease were found at higher levels in COVID-19 patients who had reported neurological symptoms.
Atri said that with the combination of studies showing neurological symptoms in COVID-19 patients, as well as autopsy results showing that the brain was affected, he and his colleagues started to realize the extent of the impact.
“It dawned on us that COVID was likely causing a massive acceleration in cognitive decline in individuals who were harboring Alzheimer’s disease (AD) in their brains, but who, up to that point, were mostly combating it and showing very little symptoms,” he said. “COVID likely set fire to the Alzheimer’s kindling and fanned small flames that were already there, thus tipping their mental function over the edge.”
In the release, he outlined the neurological symptoms of long COVID that are worrisome, such as loss of taste and smell, brain fog and difficulties with memory, concentration and language.
“COVID-19 can cause damage and clotting in the brain’s micro vessels, immune dysfunction and hyperactivation, inflammation, and, last but not least, direct viral brain invasion through the olfactory pathways,” he said in the release.
“Simply put, if you have a fortress and an enemy puts holes in your walls, you’re less likely to be able to withstand current and future attacks. COVID-19 opens the gates in the same way that the Greek soldiers hiding in the wooden horse did. It gives easier access to things that can harm your brain.”
He told CTVNews.ca that the decline that leads to Alzheimer’s generally starts 15-25 years before symptoms show up, and that diagnosis takes a couple years after that in most cases.
The processes that lead to dementia “involve the clumping of toxic proteins in the brain that ultimately overcome the brain’s defense mechanisms,” he said.
“With the spreading of these ‘fires’, including inflammation, there is disruption of energy use and destruction of brain connections and cells.”
Although it’s not yet fully understood how COVID-19 impacts the brain, “anything that diminishes cognitive resilience allows the impact of neurodegenerative processes to accelerate.”
So a person who may be vulnerable to developing dementia, or may have presented with it later in life, could start showing symptoms earlier, experts believe.
“By taking a COVID-19 hit to the brain, it can be like pouring fuel or starting new fires in the brain – and thus add to a person’s risk or accelerate their trajectory of decline,” he said.
In the short term, experts expect to see a temporary dip in dementia levels worldwide, simply because a large majority of those suffering from dementia are older, and COVID-19 has killed so many of the elderly. But they expect that we will see dementia impacting more and more people moving forward.
How soon we will see these increases in dementia levels depends on how quickly we can gather the resources to study it properly, Atri said.
“But first, we need to let people know that this is a likelihood,” he said.
More research into the issue is important in order to make a plan for how to address a coming increase in dementia patients, Barbarino said.
“People at risk of developing dementia need to know about the potential impact of long COVID on their brain health,” says Barbarino. “We need people to be aware of the possible link between long COVID and dementia, so they know to self-monitor for symptoms and catch it in its tracks. Measures must be put in place to protect them.”
For those who are concerned about dementia, a full list of symptoms is available on ADI’s website.
Atri suggested that in addition to investing in research, we should be investing in clinical care for those with dementia, as well as those with long COVID. But awareness is the first step to diagnosis — and it seems this is something we need to be watching out for during this pandemic.
A 60-year-old man and a 55-year-old woman killed in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 earlier this week have been identified by the Consulate General of India in Toronto.
Three people have been arrested and charged in the killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar – as authorities continue investigating potential connections to the Indian government.
Pius Suter scored with 1:39 left and the Vancouver Canucks advanced to the second round of the NHL playoffs with a 1-0 victory over the Nashville Predators on Friday night in Game 6.
TD Bank Group could be hit with more severe penalties than previously expected, says a banking analyst after a report that the investigation it faces in the U.S. is tied to laundering illicit fentanyl profits.
A Quebec man who pleaded guilty to threatening Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Premier François Legault has been sentenced to 20 months in jail.
RCMP say human remains found in a rural area in central Saskatchewan may have been there for a decade or more.
A source close to singer Britney Spears tells CNN that the pop star is 'home and safe' after she had a 'major fight' with her boyfriend on Wednesday night at the Chateau Marmont in West Hollywood.
As Wegovy becomes available to Canadians starting Monday, a medical expert is cautioning patients wanting to use the drug to lose weight that no medication is a ''magic bullet,' and the new medication is meant particularly for people who meet certain criteria related to obesity and weight.
Drew Carey took over as host of 'The Price Is Right' and hopes he’s there for life. 'I'm not going anywhere,' he told 'Entertainment Tonight' of the job he took over from longtime host Bob Barker in 2007.
Alberta Ballet's double-bill production of 'Der Wolf' and 'The Rite of Spring' marks not only its final show of the season, but the last production for twin sisters Alexandra and Jennifer Gibson.
A British Columbia mayor has been censured by city council – stripping him of his travel and lobbying budgets and removing him from city committees – for allegedly distributing a book that questions the history of Indigenous residential schools in Canada.
Three men in Quebec from the same family have fathered more than 600 children.
A group of SaskPower workers recently received special recognition at the legislature – for their efforts in repairing one of Saskatchewan's largest power plants after it was knocked offline for months following a serious flood last summer.
A police officer on Montreal's South Shore anonymously donated a kidney that wound up drastically changing the life of a schoolteacher living on dialysis.
Since 1932, Montreal's Henri Henri has been filled to the brim with every possible kind of hat, from newsboy caps to feathered fedoras.
Police in Oak Bay, B.C., had to close a stretch of road Sunday to help an elephant seal named Emerson get safely back into the water.
Out of more than 9,000 entries from over 2,000 breweries in 50 countries, a handful of B.C. brews landed on the podium at the World Beer Cup this week.
Raneem, 10, lives with a neurological condition and liver disease and needs Cholbam, a medication, for a longer and healthier life.