Researchers at SIU School of Medicine are exploring possible links between Alzheimer’s Disease and COVID-19.
Kevin Hascup runs a research lab on the effects of aging and Alzheimer’s.His project recently received funding from the National Institutes of Health to study how COVID impacts brain aging.
“A lot of research is well known about the systemic effects of COVID-19 throughout the body,” Hascup said. “There’s not a lot known about how this disease affects the brain. It is known through various mechanisms the virus can enter the brain, or through secondary mechanisms can lead to changes associated with brain aging.”
The study will last for a year. Hascup said they hope to identify which types of cells are damaged by COVID infections, and determine if specific medications can ?mitigate that damage. The study will also use animal models to try to identify what long-term effects COVID-19 could have on memory.
