NIH database will track COVID-19’s neurological effects

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) will collect clinical information on neurological symptoms, complications and outcomes related to COVID-19 through an online data portal created and maintained by NYU Langone Health in New York City. “The effects of the virus and the body’s response to COVID-19 infection on the brain, spinal cord, nerves and muscle can be particularly devastating, and contribute to persistence of disability even after the virus is cleared,” said Barbara Karp, MD, program director, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. The NeuroCOVID project will collect de-identified information and biospecimens from clinical studies, procedures and tests. U.S. health care providers and researchers can request access to the database. (NIH news release, 1/26/21)