Topic

Brain Structural and Functional Changes in Long COVID/ Post-COVID-vaccination syndrome

Quantitative susceptibility mapping revealed microstructural abnormalities in several medullary clusters associated with respiratory function and body homeostasis in COVID-19 survivors over months after hospitalization

Non-invasive ultra-high-field 7 T QSM showed imaging evidence of pathophysiological changes and microstructural abnormalities in the brainstem over months after COVID-19 hospitalization.

Neurometabolite concentrations show neuronal injury and glial dysfunction in the frontal brain regions of patients with neuropsychiatric symptoms of long COVID (proton MR spectroscopy study)

Brain proton MR spectroscopy demonstrated decreased tNAA and Glu/Gln levels, increased Cho and tCr levels, and altered MI levels (decreased or increased depending on the severity of acute COVID-19) in the frontal brain regions of long COVID patients with neuropsychiatric symptoms.

Cognitive dysfunction is associated with changes in the brain functional connectivity in individuals with neuro-long COVID syndrome

These findings demonstrate characteristics and changes of the complex network known as brain functional connectome in individuals with primarily neurological symptoms of post-COVID syndrome.

In individuals diagnosed with long COVID syndrome, increased [11C]PBR28 PET/MR binding across a wide range of brain regions (as an indicator of neuroinflammation) correlated with parameters of vascular health, reflecting variations in vascular anatomy and perivascular immune infiltration

The results provide indirect evidence that differences in PET signal across brain regions, as an indicator of neuroinflammation, could partially reflect variations in vascular health and perivascular immune infiltration in individuals with PASC.

Transcranial magnetic stimulation demonstrated abnormal GABAergic and glutamatergic regulation of the motor cortex excitability in individuals with long COVID and cognitive deterioration

Patients diagnosed with long COVID syndrome and cognitive deterioration had significantly reduced long-interval intracortical inhibition that depends on slow inhibitory post-synaptic potentials mediated through GABA receptors and an abnormal pattern of intracortical facilitation, which is associated with glutamatergic excitatory signaling.

Individuals with neuropsychiatric symptoms of long COVID demonstrated abnormal brain activation during working memory tasks and performed worse on the the NIHTB battery for motor functions in the domains of endurance, locomotion, and the manual dexterity of the dominant hand (BOLD-fMRI study)

The first task-activated BOLD-fMRI study conducted in individuals diagnosed with post-COVID neuropsychiatric symptoms discovered a different brain activity and reorganized working memory network in post-COVID participants.