ArticleNeuroImmune pharmacology and therapeutics2023
Abnormal brain diffusivity in participants with persistent neuropsychiatric symptoms after COVID-19.
Article in NeuroImmune pharmacology and therapeutics, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 13 papers, 2 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
13 citing papers in PubMed, 2 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 18 citations in OpenAlex.
- Brain microstructural alterations in COVID-19: a systematic review of diffusion weighted imaging studies.Brain imaging and behavior · 2026Pooled it
- Meta-analysis of Cognitive Function Following Non-severe SARS-CoV-2 Infection.Neuropsychology review · 2025Pooled it
- Microstructural alterations in brain tissue of ME/CFS and long COVID using diffusion tensor imaging and diffusion kurtosis imaging.Frontiers in medicine · 2026Article
- Acupuncture for cognitive functions in post-COVID-19 condition: study protocol of a three-armed, randomized controlled trial with multimodal MRI.Frontiers in medicine · 2026Article
- Structural Brain Abnormalities and Neuropsychiatric Symptoms in Post-COVID Condition.NeuroImmune pharmacology and therapeutics · 2025Article
- Cognitive and Psychological Symptoms in Post-COVID-19 Condition: A Systematic Review of Structural and Functional Neuroimaging, Neurophysiology, and Intervention Studies.Archives of rehabilitation research and clinical translation · 2025Review
- Evaluation of microstructural brain changes in post-coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients with neurological symptoms: a cross-sectional study.Quantitative imaging in medicine and surgery · 2024Article
- Psychological factors associated with Long COVID: a systematic review and meta-analysis.EClinicalMedicine · 2024Article
- Multimodal neuroimaging in Long-COVID and its correlates with cognition 1.8 years after SARS-CoV-2 infection: a cross-sectional study of theFrontiers in neurology · 2024Article
- Effects of post-acute COVID-19 syndrome on cerebral white matter and emotional health among non-hospitalized individuals.Frontiers in neurology · 2024Article
- Blood-brain barrier breakdown in COVID-19 ICU survivors: an MRI pilot study.NeuroImmune pharmacology and therapeutics · 2023Article
- Neuronal and Glial Metabolite Abnormalities in Participants With Persistent Neuropsychiatric Symptoms After COVID-19: A Brain Proton Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy Study.The Journal of infectious diseases · 2023Article
- Changes in Brain Activation Patterns During Working Memory Tasks in People With Post-COVID Condition and Persistent Neuropsychiatric Symptoms.Neurology · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
9 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
Objectives: We aimed to compare brain white matter integrity in participants with post-COVID-19 conditions (PCC) and healthy controls. Methods: We compared cognitive performance (NIH Toolbox Results: Compared to controls, PCC had similar cognitive performance, but greater psychiatric symptoms and perceived stress, as well as higher FA and lower diffusivities in multiple white matter tracts (ANCOVA-p-values≤0.001-0.048). Amongst women, PCC had higher left amygdala-MD than controls (sex-by-PCC p=0.006). Regardless of COVID-19 history, higher sagittal strata-FA predicted greater fatigue (r=0.48-0.52, p<0.001) in all participants, and higher left amygdala-MD predicted greater fatigue (r=0.61, p<0.001) and anxiety (r=0.69, p<0.001) in women, and higher perceived stress (r=0.45, p=0.002) for all participants. Conclusions: Microstructural abnormalities are evident in PCC participants averaged six months after COVID-19. The restricted diffusivity (with reduced MD) and higher FA suggest enhanced myelination or increased magnetic susceptibility from iron deposition, as seen in stress conditions. The higher amygdala-MD in female PCC suggests persistent neuroinflammation, which might contribute to their fatigue, anxiety, and perceived stress.
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Registered trials
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