Researchers working with the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) have discovered that COVID-19 causes lasting neurological changes up to six months after recovery in some people.
The study, co-authored by Sapna S. Mishra, a Ph.D. candidate at the Indian Institute of Technology in Delhi, sought to leverage “susceptibility-weighted imaging to analyze the effects that COVID-19 has on the brain.” Using the technology, the researchers could then measure the extent to which materials like “blood, iron, and calcium” become magnetized. From there, neurological conditions, like brain tumors and stroke, could be identified and monitored.
“Group-level studies have not previously focused on COVID-19 changes in magnetic susceptibility of the brain despite several case reports signaling such abnormalities,” said Mishra. “Our study highlights this new aspect of the neurological effects of COVID-19 and reports significant abnormalities in COVID survivors.”
The researchers were motivated to better understand the phenomenon of “long COVID” which The Dallas Express has previously reported on. While the symptoms vary, people with the condition typically report sleep trouble, loss of taste, anxiety, depression, headaches, light-headedness, and difficulty focusing, among others. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, over 40% of U.S. adults have reported developing long-lasting COVID-19 symptoms.
For the study, the authors analyzed the imaging results of 46 COVID-recovered individuals alongside 30 healthy subjects. The imaging was performed within six months of COVID recovery.
The team identified small changes in the recovered subjects’ frontal lobe and brain stem when compared to the healthy patients. These are the same brain regions connected to “fatigue, insomnia, anxiety, depression, headaches, and cognitive problems,” explained Mishra.
The authors further noted substantial changes in the brain stem’s “right ventral diencephalon.” This area is responsible for managing the circadian rhythm, releasing hormones, and delivering sensory and motor signals to the cerebral cortex.
“This study points to serious long-term complications that may be caused by the coronavirus, even months after recovery from the infection,” stressed Mishra.