AUTHOR=DosSantos Marcos F. , Devalle Sylvie , Aran Veronica , Capra Daniela , Roque Natália Roberta , Coelho-Aguiar Juliana de Mattos , Spohr Tânia Cristina Leite de Sampaio e , Subilhaga Janice Gonçalves , Pereira Cláudia Maria , D'Andrea Meira Isabella , Niemeyer Soares Filho Paulo , Moura-Neto Vivaldo TITLE=Neuromechanisms of SARS-CoV-2: A Review JOURNAL=Frontiers in Neuroanatomy VOLUME=14 YEAR=2020 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/neuroanatomy/articles/10.3389/fnana.2020.00037 DOI=10.3389/fnana.2020.00037 ISSN=1662-5129 ABSTRACT=

Recent studies have suggested the neuroinvasive potential of severe acute respiratory coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Notably, neuroinvasiveness might be involved in the pathophysiology of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Some studies have demonstrated that synapse-connected routes may enable coronaviruses to access the central nervous system (CNS). However, evidence related to the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in the CNS, its direct impact on the CNS, and the contribution to symptoms suffered, remain sparse. Here, we review the current literature that indicates that SARS-CoV-2 can invade the nervous system. We also describe the neural circuits that are potentially affected by the virus and their possible role in the progress of COVID-19. In addition, we propose several strategies to understand, diagnose, and treat the neurological symptoms of COVID-19.