Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 and seizure: An insight into the pathophysiologic mechanisms

Shima  Zareh-Shahamati; Mahyar Noorbakhsh; Hadi Digaleh; Behnam Safarpour-Lima; Behnam  Safarpour-Lima

doi:10.18502/cjn.v20i1.6379

Shima Zareh-Shahamati Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Mahyar Noorbakhsh Autoimmune Disease Research Center, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Iran
Hadi Digaleh Department of Neurosurgery, Sina Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Behnam Safarpour-Lima Department of Neurosurgery, Sina Hospital, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
Behnam Safarpour-Lima Department of Neurology, School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

DOI: https://doi.org/10.18502/cjn.v20i1.6379

Keywords: SARS-CoV-2; COVID-19; Seizures; Neurology

Abstract

Based on previous studies, seizure has been reported to accompany coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Underlying mechanisms are those leading to the direct central nervous system (CNS) invasion through hematogenous spread or trans-synaptic retrograde invasion, causing meningoencephalitis. On the other hand, there are pathophysiologic mechanisms that seizure would be one of their early consequences, such as cytokine storm, hypoxemia, metabolic derangement, and structural brain lesions. Herein, we focused on available evidence to provide an insight into the pathophysiologic mechanisms that link seizure and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, as a better understanding of pathophysiology would lead to better diagnosis and treatment.