Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40314790›Full record

Observational studyNeuroradiology2025

No brain MRI abnormalities after mild-to-moderate COVID-19: an observational study.

Lukas Haider, Paulus Rommer, Iscel Ahmet, Alexandra Dena, Alexander P Thurnher, Emanuele Tomassino, Diana Bonderman, Florian Thalhammer, Stefan Seidel, Thomas Berger and 1 more

Abstract readObservational Study
In one paragraph

Observational study in Neuroradiology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing 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

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Review
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

11 authors.

Lukas HaiderSection of Neuroradiology and Musculoskeletal Radiology, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-Guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1556-1770
Paulus RommerDepartment of Neurology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
Iscel AhmetFifth Medical Department with Cardiology, Favoriten Clinic, Vienna, Austria.
Alexandra DenaSection of Neuroradiology and Musculoskeletal Radiology, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-Guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
Alexander P ThurnherSection of Neuroradiology and Musculoskeletal Radiology, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-Guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
Emanuele TomassinoSection of Neuroradiology and Musculoskeletal Radiology, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-Guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
Diana BondermanFifth Medical Department with Cardiology, Favoriten Clinic, Vienna, Austria.
Florian ThalhammerDepartment of Urology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
Stefan SeidelDepartment of Neurology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
Thomas BergerDepartment of Neurology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
Majda ThurnherSection of Neuroradiology and Musculoskeletal Radiology, Department of Biomedical Imaging and Image-Guided Therapy, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria. majda.thurnher@meduniwien.ac.at.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeTo assess COVID-19-related morphological brain changes in individuals who recovered from mild-to-moderate COVID-19.

methodThis prospective cohort study enrolled 112 consecutive individuals who recovered from mild-to-moderate COVID-19 and underwent an MRI of the brain between September 2020 and March 2022. MR exams were consistently obtained on a clinical 3T MR scanner in all study participants and 50 age-matched matched controls. The following clinical neuroradiological MR imaging findings were analyzed: post- and acute ischemic lesions, cortical signal alterations, microbleeds, perfusion abnormalities, cytotoxic lesions of the corpus callosum, and vascular abnormalities. Additionally, we manually quantified white matter lesion loads and the number of perivascular spaces and performed an automated brain volumetric analysis.

resultsIn 112 consecutive individuals the mean age was 45 years, female: male = 70:42, mean days at MRI after SARS CoV-2 infection: 228 (sd: 140), and hospitalized: non-hospitalized ratio = 30:82. Using general linear regression models, adjusting for age and gender, the frequency of white matter hyperintensities was not significantly different between subjects who recovered from COVID-19 and matched controls: 9.8 (sd: 17.3) vs. 7.6 (sd: 12.7), p = 0.590. Similarly, the number of enlarged perivascular spaces was not significantly different between the two groups: 62.7 (sd: 43.5) vs. 61.3 (sd: 47.2), p = 0.902. A subgroup analysis between those who were hospitalized in the course of the disease, in which no one required intensive care, and those who remained outpatients, also did not reveal any differences in MRI measures. We did not find evidence for perfusion-/diffusion abnormalities, (micro-)hemorrhages, or cortical abnormalities.

conclusionsIn the present cohort, there was currently no evidence of COVID-19-related morphological brain changes in individuals who recovered from mild-to-moderate COVID-19.

Indexed as

BrainCOVID-19Magnetic Resonance ImagingAdultAgedCase-Control StudiesFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedProspective StudiesBrainCOVID-19Perivascular spacesSARS-CoV-2

Identifiers

PMID40314790
PMCPMC12391197

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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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.