ABSTRACT
Neurological complications of COVID-19 contribute significantly to mortality in the intensive care unit (ICU). Preventive therapy, though discussed in literature, is limited for COVID-19 neurological manifestations and treatment algorithms continue to rely on evidence from previous pandemics. Thus, in this chapter we evaluate current in vitro, in vitro, histopathological studies to ascertain the most likely mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2 central nervous system entry. From this understanding, we determine probable mechanisms for neurological compilations observed in COVID-19 as relevant to the clinician. SARS-CoV-2 infection of nasal epithelium and the respiratory tract may allow for a systemic inflammatory response that results in neuroinflammation. While most neurological complications are inflammatory in etiology, rarely, SARS-CoV-2 may enter into the central nervous system and mediate neuronal damage. © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022.