Larger gray matter volumes in neuropsychiatric long-COVID syndrome, Besteher et al, 2022

John Mac · Sep 9, 2022

Highlights
Neuropsychiatric symptoms are common among long-COVID patients.

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Cortical and subcortical gray matter volumes are increased in these patients.

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Gray matter alterations occur in limbic and secondary olfactory system.

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Gray matter volumes are inversely associated with time since onset of COVID-19.

Abstract
Neuropsychiatric symptoms are the most common sequelae of long-COVID. As accumulating evidence suggests an impact of survived SARS-CoV-2-infection on brain physiology, it is necessary to further investigate brain structural changes in relation to course and neuropsychiatric symptom burden in long-COVID.

To this end, the present study investigated 3T-MRI scans from long-COVID patients suffering from neuropsychiatric symptoms (n = 30), and healthy controls (n = 20). Whole-brain comparison of gray matter volume (GMV) was conducted by voxel-based morphometry. To determine whether changes in GMV are predicted by neuropsychiatric symptom burden and/or initial severity of symptoms of COVID-19 and time since onset of COVID-19 stepwise linear regression analysis was performed.

Significantly enlarged GMV in long-COVID patients was present in several clusters (spanning fronto-temporal areas, insula, hippocampus, amygdala, basal ganglia, and thalamus in both hemispheres) when compared to controls. Time since onset of COVID-19 was a significant regressor in four of these clusters with an inverse relationship. No associations with clinical symptom burden were found.

GMV alterations in limbic and secondary olfactory areas are present in long-COVID patients and might be dynamic over time. Larger samples and longitudinal data in long-COVID patients are required to further clarify the mediating mechanisms between COVID-19, GMV and neuropsychiatric symptoms.
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https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0165178122004292?via=ihub

News article on the study
https://www.news-medical.net/news/2...-in-neuropsychiatric-long-COVID-syndrome.aspx

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Larger gray matter volumes in neuropsychiatric long-COVID syndrome, Besteher et al, 2022

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Larger gray matter volumes in neuropsychiatric long-COVID syndrome, Besteher et al, 2022

John Mac Senior Member (Voting Rights)

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