Neuroinflammation detected in Long COVID Patients Two Years Post-Infection
A new study reveals persistent neuroinflammation in some individuals experiencing long COVID symptoms-specifically severe fatigue and difficulty concentrating-up to two years after initial infection. Researchers utilized PET scans to detect elevated activity in teh brain’s gray matter of those with ongoing symptoms compared to a control group of previously infected individuals without thes complaints.
The study, published in the Journal of Nuclear Medicine, included 47 patients: 33 with persistent fatigue and concentration issues (median age 50) and 14 previously infected individuals without these symptoms (median age 47). Participants underwent 60-minute whole-body PET scans using either an ingenuity TF PET/CT scanner (Philips; n=10) or a biograph Vision Quadra (Siemens Healthineers; n=37). Researchers analyzed F-18 DPA-714 binding levels across cerebral and extracerebral regions.
After adjusting for age, body mass index, and scanner type, the team found significantly higher binding in global gray matter in those with persistent complaints (nondisplaceable binding potential, 0.8 ± 0.34) versus those without (0.65 ± 0.17, p = 0.036). Visual inspection also suggested similar high binding levels in the cerebellum in some patients with ongoing symptoms.
“We found widespread elevated neuroinflammatory activity, as measured with TSPO-PET, in some post-COVID individuals with persistent severe fatigue and/or difficulty concentrating compared with individuals without these complaints,” the researchers wrote.
The findings suggest a potential link between chronic neuroinflammation and the long-term effects of COVID-19, drawing parallels to neurodegenerative diseases like multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease. The researchers noted that chronic neuroinflammation is “associated with neurodegeneration and may be equally relevant for post-COVID syndrome.”
The full study is available at https://doi.org/10.2967/jnumed.124.269297.
