ArticleAnnals of clinical and translational neurology2026
Post-COVID Fatigue Is Associated With Reduced Cortical Thickness After Hospitalization.
Article in Annals of clinical and translational neurology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT04747366 (National Pandemic Cohort Network - High-resolution Platform), which is not on this map. Cited by 1 paper.
What it found
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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.
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.
National Pandemic Cohort Network - High-resolution Platform (HAP) Analysis of the Pathophysiology and Pathology of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), Including Chronic Morbidity
Who cites it
1 citing paper in PubMed.
- Post-COVID Fatigue Is Associated With Reduced Cortical Thickness After Hospitalization.Annals of clinical and translational neurology · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
18 authors.
Funding
Abstract
objectiveNeuropsychiatric symptoms are among the most prevalent sequelae of COVID-19, particularly among hospitalized patients. Recent research has identified volumetric brain changes associated with COVID-19. However, it currently remains poorly understood how brain changes relate to post-COVID fatigue and cognitive deficits. We, therefore, aimed to assess structural brain changes after hospitalization for COVID-19 and their associations with cognitive performance and fatigue.
methodsWe analyzed data from n = 57 patients previously hospitalized for COVID-19 (63% male, mean age 52 years) from the prospective, multicentric high-resolution platform of the German National Pandemic Cohort Network (NAPKON-HAP) and n = 57 matched healthy control participants (HC). We assessed cortical thickness and subcortical volumes in high-resolution T1-weighted MRI and their associations with cognitive performance (Montreal Cognitive Assessment) and fatigue (Fatigue Severity Scale).
resultsPatients exhibited statistically significant reductions of cortical thickness in parahippocampal gyri and the temporal lobe (all p[FDR-corrected] < 0.05) as well as reduced hippocampal volumes compared to HC (left, Cohen's d [95% CI] = 0.50 [0.12-0.8]; right d = 0.43 [0.05-0.80]). Higher acute COVID-19 severity was associated with reduced cortical thickness, particularly in the olfactory system. Furthermore, reduced cortical thickness of the temporal poles and the anterior and posterior cingulate gyrus was associated with more severe post-acute fatigue.
interpretationOur results identify long-lasting macrostructural brain changes after moderate to severe COVID-19 that correlate with acute disease severity and long-term fatigue. Early identification and targeted interventions for patients at risk of persistent brain changes are needed.
trial registrationNAPKON-HAP is registered at clinicaltrials.gov (NCT04747366).
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