More than two years into the pandemic, life continues to be challenging and unpredictable for those dealing with the lasting symptoms of what has come to be known as long COVID.
But just how prevalent, worrisome and enduring are the brain-related symptoms of this health issue, such as headaches, brain fog and memory issues? And how do we know what's caused by the virus, and what could be the result of living through stressful and unprecedented times?
The 10th and final episode of Season 1 of Krembil Brain Institute's podcast, Your Complex Brain, explores what University Health Network (UHN) scientists and physicians are learning about how to identify, diagnose and treat the brain-related symptoms of long COVID.
The episode features Susie Goulding, who first contracted COVID-19 just as the pandemic began more than two years ago. Susie started an online support group to help others living with long Covid find support and resources. The group has also become a recruiting ground for patients wanting to participate in research.
“Before, I was a real outgoing, multitasking, floral designer, ski patroller, single mom of a 14 year-old son, with three dogs – very much on the go, and with endless amounts of energy," says Susie. “COVID really takes your health from you. It takes your life as you knew it and flips your world upside down."
Also featured in the panel discussion are UHN experts: Dr. Angela Cheung, Dr. Abdu Sharkawy and Dr. Carmela Tartaglia.
“By treating symptoms such as headaches or fatigue, sometimes we can get people back to some semblance of their previous self," says Dr. Tartaglia, a neurologist & clinician investigator with KBI. “I tell people, think of your brain like these little gears and COVID has stopped one gear, or all of the gears. But, sometimes, just by getting one gear going, you can actually entrain the other ones."
To listen to the episode, and subscribe to the podcast: https://bit.ly/3PzNs00.