Editorial: Neuropsychiatric Consequences of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Understanding mechanisms, risk factors and treatment

Zulay R Lugo^*Mario Jose Patiño Torres

• Faculty of Medicine, Central University of Venezuela, Caracas, Venezuela

This research topic aimed to collect reports on these manifestations, as well as their possible pathophysiology and management, covering: (1) neurological or psychiatric manifestations during the symptomatic period of the disease, (2) psychological, psychiatric, and social manifestations as a direct consequence of the quarantine period, (3) neurological or psychiatric manifestations developed after the resolution of the acute phase of the infection which are included in the so-called post-COVID syndrome.In this context, two of the main symptoms of the SARS-CoV-2 infection were alterations in smell and taste. A recent review found that anosmia was the most common symptom among these disorders (Mehraeen et al.,2021). The acute olfactory dysfunction in some cases might have evolved into chronicity. The review article presented in this research topic by Treder-Rochna et al. showed that this complication may be effectively treated with olfactory training and other adjuvant therapies.Among the psychological aspects of the pandemic touching those who did not directly suffer from the disease, the vast amount of information on the SARS-CoV-2 infection disseminated through the media, may have produced a shift in attention in some people due to the possible development of a state of generalized anxiety, affecting the detection of specific negative stimuli. This perceptual change is shown with the work of Favieri et al. presented in this research topic. These findings highlight the extent of the possible impact on mental health during the pandemic non directly related to the infection by the SARS-CoV-2.In this issue, Liu et al. present a study about the effects on sleep and mental health in a population of patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection, assessed through a questionnaire distributed via a social media platform. Among these patients, they found lower sleep quality, longer sleep latency, enhanced rising time, and decreased sleep efficiency after the wave of infection. These alterations were significantly correlated with anxiety and depression, among other psychological factors.Finally, the long COVID, as defined by the WHO, occurs in individuals with a history of probable or confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection, usually 3 months from the onset, with symptoms that last for at least 2 months and cannot be explained by an alternative diagnosis (Soriano et al., 2022). It can include symptoms from a variety of systems such as respiratory and cardiac, in addition to central nervous system symptoms such as dizziness, brain fog, attention disorders, and cognitive dysfunction (Rodriguez- Morales et al., 2023;Thaweethai et al., 2023). The diversity of manifestations of this syndrome means that its diagnosis and therapeutic approaches are still subject to debate and further research. On this topic, Smadja DM and Abreu MM propose in this issue a preliminary therapeutic approach for long COVID based on whole body hyperthermia (WBH), which would act through the modulation of neuroinflammation. This therapy, could also have potential in the treatment of some neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease, Huntington's Disease and various spinocerebellar ataxias, which share a pathology characterized by the accumulation and deposition of abnormal polypeptides or amyloid product and might be modulated by WBH according to these authors.The articles presented in this research topic provide an excellent example of the diverse range of neuropsychiatric symptoms and pathologies associated to COVID-19, along with some therapeutic approaches. We hope that this contribution will help to increase the body of scientific knowledge on this field, especially on the long-term COVID neuropsychiatric symptoms and their possible management, as well as to encourage further research on this topic.