How Has COVID-19 Impacted Neuroscience Research?

Post by Anastasia Sares

Science interrupted

The effects of the pandemic have been felt in every sector of life across the globe since the beginning of 2020, and neuroscience research is no different. This week in Neuron, Joy Snider and David Holtzman—one a laboratory scientist and the other a clinical researcher—narrate their own experiences and the influence of the pandemic on their fields.

Empty labs, full screens

Most in-person data collection and lab work was quickly deemed “nonessential” and placed under heavy restrictions, slowing progress to a crawl. Longitudinal studies (where people come in multiple times to be tested) that were begun before the pandemic were often unable to stay on schedule, compromising their original plans and possibly leading to data loss. MRI studies were especially risky if the imaging facility was connected to a hospital where COVID patients were treated, so many of these were put on hold as well.

On the other hand, forcing talks and conferences to move online, often at a reduced cost of attendance, removed barriers to these events and increased scholarly communication. The increase in participation was sometimes two- to three-fold, and people from around the world were able to dialogue. In addition, for some people, the lack of daily distractions at the lab was exactly what they needed to do in-depth analyses or writing, and paper submissions rose substantially.

A changed future

The setbacks caused by the pandemic will change the course of research long after. In animal research, the death of animals with highly specific genetics means starting back at square one, setting projects back years. Human clinical and preclinical studies also take years to approve, set up, and administer— some may need to go through these processes again and could lose participants. Fewer volunteering opportunities, projects on hold, and school closures impact careers across the board but disproportionately affect students, early-career scientists, and parents of young children who had to switch to virtual schooling at home. However, despite these difficulties, the push for remote communication and even remote testing could reduce the cost of scientific activities. 

What’s the bottom line?

The pandemic certainly presented challenges to researchers that may take years to recover from. However, it also led to surprising benefits, like the democratization of scientific events and more efficient remote testing. This could mean permanent changes to the way we conduct research moving forward.

Snider & Holtzman. Effects of COVI9-19 on preclinical and clinical research in Neurology: Examples from research on neurodegeneration and Alzheimer’s disease. Neuron (2021). Access the original scientific publication here.