Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38865747›Full record

ArticleEBioMedicine2024

Sex-specific biphasic alpha-synuclein response and alterations of interneurons in a COVID-19 hamster model.

Cara Sophie Schreiber, Ivo Wiesweg, Stephanie Stanelle-Bertram, Sebastian Beck, Nancy Mounogou Kouassi, Berfin Schaumburg, Gülsah Gabriel, Franziska Richter, Christopher Käufer

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in EBioMedicine, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 16 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
16citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

16 citing papers in PubMed.

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  9. Neuroimmune pathophysiology of long COVID.Psychiatry and clinical neurosciences · 2025
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Cara Sophie SchreiberDepartment of Pharmacology, Toxicology, and Pharmacy; University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany; Center for Systems Neuroscience Hannover (ZSN), Germany.
Ivo WieswegDepartment of Pharmacology, Toxicology, and Pharmacy; University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany.
Stephanie Stanelle-BertramDepartment for Viral Zoonoses-One Health, Leibniz Institute of Virology, Hamburg, Germany.
Sebastian BeckDepartment for Viral Zoonoses-One Health, Leibniz Institute of Virology, Hamburg, Germany.
Nancy Mounogou KouassiDepartment for Viral Zoonoses-One Health, Leibniz Institute of Virology, Hamburg, Germany.
Berfin SchaumburgDepartment for Viral Zoonoses-One Health, Leibniz Institute of Virology, Hamburg, Germany.
Gülsah GabrielDepartment for Viral Zoonoses-One Health, Leibniz Institute of Virology, Hamburg, Germany; Institute of Virology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany.
Franziska RichterDepartment of Pharmacology, Toxicology, and Pharmacy; University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany; Center for Systems Neuroscience Hannover (ZSN), Germany. Electronic address: franziska.richter@tiho-hannover.de.
Christopher KäuferDepartment of Pharmacology, Toxicology, and Pharmacy; University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, Germany; Center for Systems Neuroscience Hannover (ZSN), Germany. Electronic address: Christopher.kaeufer@tiho-hannover.de.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundCoronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) frequently leads to neurological complications after recovery from acute infection, with higher prevalence in women. However, mechanisms by which SARS-CoV-2 disrupts brain function remain unclear and treatment strategies are lacking. We previously demonstrated neuroinflammation in the olfactory bulb of intranasally infected hamsters, followed by alpha-synuclein and tau accumulation in cortex, thus mirroring pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's or Alzheimer's disease.

methodsTo uncover the sex-specific spatiotemporal profiles of neuroinflammation and neuronal dysfunction following intranasal SARS-CoV-2 infection, we quantified microglia cell density, alpha-synuclein immunoreactivity and inhibitory interneurons in cortical regions, limbic system and basal ganglia at acute and late post-recovery time points.

findingsUnexpectedly, microglia cell density and alpha-synuclein immunoreactivity decreased at 6 days post-infection, then rebounded to overt accumulation at 21 days post-infection. This biphasic response was most pronounced in amygdala and striatum, regions affected early in Parkinson's disease. Several brain regions showed altered densities of parvalbumin and calretinin interneurons which are involved in cognition and motor control. Of note, females appeared more affected.

interpretationOur results demonstrate that SARS-CoV-2 profoundly disrupts brain homeostasis without neuroinvasion, via neuroinflammatory and protein regulation mechanisms that persist beyond viral clearance. The regional patterns and sex differences are in line with neurological deficits observed after SARS-CoV-2 infection.

fundingFederal Ministry of Health, Germany (BMG; ZMV I 1-2520COR501 to G.G.), Federal Ministry of Education and Research, Germany (BMBF; 03COV06B to G.G.), Ministry of Science and Culture of Lower Saxony in Germany (14-76403-184, to G.G. and F.R.).

Indexed as

alpha-SynucleinCOVID-19InterneuronsMicrogliaAnimalsBrainCricetinaeDisease Models, AnimalFemaleHumansMaleSARS-CoV-2Sex Factorsalpha-SynucleinNeurodegenerative diseaseNeuroinflammationNeurological symptomsPost COVID-19 condition

Identifiers

PMID38865747
PMCPMC11293593

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.