Title:Crosstalk between SARS-CoV-2 Infection and Neurological Disorders: A
Review
Volume: 22
Issue: 5
Author(s): Asim Azhar*, Mohammad Akram Wali, Qudsia Rashid, Wajihul Hasan Khan, Khaled Al-hosaini, Mohammad Owais and Mohammad Amjad Kamal
Affiliation:
- Aligarh College of Education, Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh, India
Keywords:
ACE2, BBB, CNS, COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, respiratory manifestations.
Abstract: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent responsible
for coronavirus disease (COVID-19), is an issue of global concern since March 2020. The
respiratory manifestations of COVID-19 have widely been explained in the last couple of months of
the pandemic. Initially, the virus was thought to be restricted to the pulmonary system; however, as
time progressed and cases increased during the second wave of COVID-19, the virus affected other
organs, including the nervous system. The neurological implication of SARS-CoV-2 infection is
mounting, as substantiated by various reports, and in the majority of COVID-19 patients with neurological
symptoms, the penetration of SARS-CoV-2 in the central nervous system (CNS) is likely.
SARS-CoV-2 can enter the nervous system by exploiting the routes of olfactory mucosa, olfactory and
sensory nerve endings, or endothelial and nerve tissues, thus crossing the neural-mucosal interface in
the olfactory mucosa in the nose. Owing to multifactorial and complex pathogenic mechanisms,
COVID-19 adds a large-scale risk to the entire nervous system. A thorough understanding of SARSCoV-
2 neurological damage is still vague; however, our comprehension of the virus is rapidly developing.
The present comprehensive review will gain insights and provide neurological dimensions of
COVID-19 and their associated anomalies. The review presents the entry routes of SARS-CoV-2 into
the CNS to ascertain potential targets in the tissues owing to infection. We also discuss the molecular
mechanisms involved, the array of clinical symptoms, and various nervous system diseases following
the attack of SARS-CoV-2.