Brain Mechanisms of COVID-19-Sleep Disorders

• Published in: International journal of molecular sciences 2021-06, Vol.22 (13), p.6917
• Main Authors: Semyachkina-Glushkovskaya, Oxana, Mamedova, Aysel, Vinnik, Valeria, Klimova, Maria, Saranceva, Elena, Ageev, Vasily, Yu, Tingting, Zhu, Dan, Penzel, Thomas, Kurths, Jürgen
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Antigens; Anxiety; Behavior disorders; Biomarkers; Blood-brain barrier; Blood-Brain Barrier - metabolism; Blood-Brain Barrier - virology; Brain - metabolism; brain mechanisms; Brain research; Chemokines; Circadian Rhythm; Confidence intervals; Coronaviruses; COVID-19; COVID-19 - pathology; COVID-19 - virology; COVID-19-sleep disorders; Cytokines; Cytokines - metabolism; Disruption; EEG; Growth factors; Humans; Hygiene; Infections; Inflammation; Insomnia; Leakage; Pandemics; Permeability; Proteins; Psychological aspects; Quarantine; Rehabilitation; Review; SARS-CoV-2 - isolation & purification; Severe acute respiratory syndrome; Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; Signs and symptoms; Sleep apnea; Sleep deprivation; Sleep disorders; Sleep Wake Disorders - metabolism; Sleep Wake Disorders - pathology; Social interactions; the blood–brain barrier permeability
• ISSN: 1422-0067; 1661-6596; 1422-0067
• DOI: 10.3390/ijms22136917

2020 and 2021 have been unprecedented years due to the rapid spread of the modified severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus around the world. The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) causes atypical infiltrated pneumonia with many neurological symptoms, and major sleep changes. The exposure of people to stress, such as social confinement and changes in daily routines, is accompanied by various sleep disturbances, known as 'coronasomnia' phenomenon. Sleep disorders induce neuroinflammation, which promotes the blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption and entry of antigens and inflammatory factors into the brain. Here, we review findings and trends in sleep research in 2020-2021, demonstrating how COVID-19 and sleep disorders can induce BBB leakage via neuroinflammation, which might contribute to the 'coronasomnia' phenomenon. The new studies suggest that the control of sleep hygiene and quality should be incorporated into the rehabilitation of COVID-19 patients. We also discuss perspective strategies for the prevention of COVID-19-related BBB disorders. We demonstrate that sleep might be a novel biomarker of BBB leakage, and the analysis of sleep EEG patterns can be a breakthrough non-invasive technology for diagnosis of the COVID-19-caused BBB disruption.