Persistent Post-COVID Symptoms Linked to Brain Stem Changes

Since COVD-19 is still relatively new, there is a lot we are still learning about this virus. Prior research has shown that patients who have died from COVID-19 had abnormal changes to their brain stem and central nervous system (CNS). Additionally, patients who were hospitalized often develop persistent fatigue, breathlessness, and chest pain, referred to as long COVID. However, the cause of these ongoing symptoms is unknown. 

In a recent study, scientists examined whether brain stem changes might be associated with these persistent symptoms in post-COVID patients. To do this, they used a special type of MRI called 7t quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM). This technique is better able to see small abnormalities than traditional MRI. The researchers used 7t QSM on 30 recovered, hospitalized COVID-19 patients and 51 age-matched uninfected controls. Their analysis revealed evidence of brain stem changes associated with inflammation following COVID-19. 

This small study provides an important starting point for understanding changes that may contribute to persistent post-COVID symptoms. Further research is needed to understand how common brainstem changes are, how long they last after infection, and whether they can be prevented or treated.

Citation:

Rua, C., et al. (2024). Quantitative susceptibility mapping at 7 T in COVID-19: Brainstem effects and outcome associations. Brain, awae215. https://doi.org/10.1093/brain/awae215