Brainstem dysfunction as a potential etiology of ME/CFS and long COVID: A mechanical basis 🧠💤🌍

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#BrainstemDysfunction #MECFS #LongCOVID #ChronicFatigue #HealthResearch

🧠 U.S. long COVID patients report significantly higher rates of brain fog and psychological distress (e.g., depression, anxiety) compared to patients in India and Nigeria, possibly due to lower stigma and better healthcare access rather than more severe disease.

📊 In the study of over 3,100 adults, 86% of non-hospitalized U.S. patients reported brain fog, versus 15% in India. Nearly 75% of non-hospitalized U.S. patients reported depression or anxiety symptoms, compared to fewer than 20% in India and Nigeria.

🌍 This cross-continental study, led by Northwestern Medicine and published in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, highlights potential cultural differences in reporting mental health and cognitive issues.

#LongCOVID #HealthNews #GlobalHealth

Brain scans reveal neural connectivity deficits in Long COVID and ME/CFS. Study finds the brains of people with Long COVID and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome struggle to communicate effectively during mentally tiring tasks.

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#LongCovid #MECFS #BrainConnectivity #NeuroHealth #CognitiveFatigue

🧠 New research published in the Journal of Translational Medicine reveals that brains of Long COVID and ME/CFS patients struggle to communicate effectively during mentally tiring tasks, showing disrupted or weakened signals between key brain areas, unlike healthy brains which tighten neural connections when fatigued.

🔬 A study led by Maira Inderyas and Professor Sonya Marshall-Gradisnik at Griffith University utilized a powerful 7 Tesla MRI scanner with nearly eighty participants (32 ME/CFS, 19 Long COVID, 27 healthy controls) to observe brain activity during a demanding cognitive test called the Stroop task.

📊 Findings indicate distinct patterns: Long COVID patients showed reduced connectivity between reward/motivation areas and the cerebellum, while ME/CFS patients exhibited increased connectivity in brainstem areas linked to automatic bodily functions, aligning with observed symptoms.

#LongCOVID #MECFS #BrainHealth

Long COVID linked to Alzheimer’s disease mechanisms: The increased size of, and lesser blood supply to, a key brain structure in patients with Long COVID tracks with known blood markers of Alzheimer’s disease and greater levels of dementia, a new study finds.

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#LongCOVID #AlzheimersDisease #DementiaResearch #BrainHealth #Neurodegeneration

🔬 Scientists have identified specific molecular and structural changes in taste buds that may explain why some people experience long-term taste loss after COVID-19.

🔬 A study published today in Chemical Senses found reduced levels of a key protein amplifier (PLCβ2) in taste receptor cells of 8 out of 28 patients experiencing taste disturbances over a year after COVID-19 infection. This protein is crucial for detecting sweet, bitter, and umami tastes.

🔬 The research, involving patients from the University of Colorado Anschutz and two Swedish universities, also observed structural disorganization in the taste buds of some individuals, suggesting both molecular and architectural changes contribute to persistent taste dysfunction.

#COVID19 #LongCOVID #HealthTech

Long COVID associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Risk of conditions such as cardiac arrhythmias and coronary artery disease is higher even among those who were not hospitalised during the acute infection.

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#LongCovid #CardiovascularHealth #PostCovidRisks

❤️ New study from Karolinska Institutet reveals people with long COVID have an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, including arrhythmias and coronary artery disease, even if they weren't hospitalized.

📊 The research analyzed over 1.2 million people, finding 18.2% of women and 20.6% of men with long COVID experienced cardiovascular events, compared to 8.4% and 11.1% respectively without long COVID.

⚖️ Women with long COVID had over double the risk of a cardiovascular diagnosis, while men had about a third higher risk, with findings adjusted for age and other risk factors.

⚕️ Experts suggest more systematic monitoring for long COVID patients, particularly women, as cardiovascular issues can be subtle and present differently.

#LongCOVID #CardiovascularDisease #HealthResearch

A new brain imaging study has found no evidence of widespread brain inflammation in patients suffering from prolonged symptoms after COVID-19 infection. Instead, the most severe long COVID symptoms were associated with increased brain activity in regions involved in mood and emotion.

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#LongCOVID #BrainImaging #NeuroScience

🧠 No Widespread Brain Inflammation in Long COVID, Study Finds: New research from the University of Turku, Finland, suggests prolonged symptoms of long COVID are NOT linked to widespread brain inflammation.

🔬 Emotion Centers More Active in Severe Long COVID: Instead, the study observed increased activity in brain regions associated with mood and emotion in patients with the most severe long COVID symptoms.

📊 Inflammation May Be Early, Then Fade: While clear brain inflammation signs were seen in severe acute COVID-19, this study's long COVID patients scanned within 16 months of infection showed higher white matter inflammation than those longer out, suggesting inflammation might be more prominent early on.

💡 Targeted Treatments Needed: The findings suggest treatments focusing on stress and emotional regulation might be more beneficial than those solely targeting inflammation for some long COVID patients.

#LongCOVID #MedicalResearch #HealthNews

The scope of long COVID is bigger than we think, Mass. researchers say | "New research from Mass General Brigham suggests that at least 10 million Americans have long COVID — but have not been diagnosed"

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#LongCOVID #MassachusettsResearch #PublicHealthAwareness

💡 Mass General Brigham research suggests at least 10 million Americans may have undiagnosed long COVID, using AI to analyze nearly 460,000 patient records, indicating 16% of COVID-19 cases develop long-term symptoms not always identified as long COVID.

💡 This new estimate is more than double some previous figures, such as the World Health Organization's estimate of 6% of COVID patients developing chronic symptoms, though a 2024 CDC report indicated 18% of surveyed U.S. adults experienced long COVID.

💡 Long COVID symptoms can be diverse and persistent, including fatigue, breathing issues, joint pain, and more, with diagnosis often based on symptoms due to the lack of a specific diagnostic test and the difficulty in connecting chronic issues back to the initial COVID-19 infection.

#LongCovid #HealthNews #Research

Dopaminergic vulnerability in long COVID: striatal PET imaging at the brain-body interface

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#LongCovid #DopaminergicSystem #PETImaging

People suffering from long COVID show a measurable reduction in the brain’s dopamine-releasing neurons. These physical brain changes tend to be associated with common persistent symptoms such as apathy, memory problems, and a slowing of physical movements.

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#LongCOVID #DopamineDecline #BrainHealth

🧠 A study in eBioMedicine found that long COVID patients have a measurable reduction in dopamine-releasing neurons, linked to symptoms like apathy, memory issues, and slowed movement.

🔬 Researchers used brain imaging on 24 long COVID adults, finding an average 18% loss of dopamine nerve terminals in key brain regions. Lower levels correlated with apathy, memory problems, and slower motor speed.

💡 These findings suggest that treatments targeting dopamine function could be a new therapeutic approach for the neurological symptoms of long COVID.

#LongCOVID #Dopamine #BrainHealth

COVID can wake up a slew of dormant viruses inside you. Reactivation of typically harmless anelloviruses, in particular, seems to be linked with developing long COVID, study finds.

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#LongCOVID #VirusReactivation #AnellovirusActivation

Brain scans reveal widespread structural and functional changes in patients following COVID-19 infection. The virus affects regions responsible for memory, emotion, and executive function, which may help explain the neurological symptoms many patients experience.

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#LongCOVID #NeuroCOVID #BrainHealth2024

Researchers studying DNA simulations identify a potential common mechanism underlying fatigue in Long COVID, Chronic Fatigue, PTSD, MS and Rheumatoid Arthritis

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#LongCOVID #ChronicFatigue #Neuroimmunology

Persistent fatigue linked to reduced brain blood flow in people with long COVID

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#LongCOVID #FatigueScience #BrainHealth

🧠 New study suggests lower blood flow in the brains of individuals experiencing persistent fatigue due to long COVID.

🧠 Researchers compared 22 long COVID patients with fatigue to 19 healthy volunteers, finding reduced overall cerebral blood flow and slower reaction times in the long COVID group.

🧠 While participants with long COVID reported greater fatigue increases during an attention task, their performance decline was not significantly worse than the control group, distinguishing between subjective fatigue and objective performance.

🧠 These findings, observed using arterial spin labelling MRI, point to potential cerebral blood flow changes as one factor contributing to fatigue and concentration issues in long COVID, though further research is needed to establish causation and individual applicability.

#LongCOVID #Fatigue #BrainHealth