Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42819213›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in neurology2026

FreeSurfer-based amygdala subfield volumetry in long COVID and ME/CFS: clinical and immunological correlations.

Yukio Kimura, Wakiro Sato, Yoko Shigemoto, Risa Kagaya, Akihiko Hayakawa, Yunosuke Kumazawa, Isu Shin, Keiko Amano, Takashi Yamamura, Noriko Sato

Abstract read
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Article in Frontiers in neurology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Yukio KimuraDepartment of Radiology, National Center Hospital of Neurology and Psychiatry, Kodaira, Tokyo, Japan.
Wakiro SatoDepartment of Immunology, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Kodaira, Tokyo, Japan.
Yoko ShigemotoDepartment of Radiology, National Center Hospital of Neurology and Psychiatry, Kodaira, Tokyo, Japan.
Risa KagayaDepartment of Radiology, National Center Hospital of Neurology and Psychiatry, Kodaira, Tokyo, Japan.
Akihiko HayakawaDepartment of Radiology, National Center Hospital of Neurology and Psychiatry, Kodaira, Tokyo, Japan.
Yunosuke KumazawaDepartment of Radiology, National Center Hospital of Neurology and Psychiatry, Kodaira, Tokyo, Japan.
Isu ShinSekimachi Medical Clinic, Nerima, Tokyo, Japan.
Keiko AmanoSeifuso Hospital, Niiza, Saitama, Japan.
Takashi YamamuraDepartment of Immunology, National Institute of Neuroscience, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry, Kodaira, Tokyo, Japan.
Noriko SatoDepartment of Radiology, National Center Hospital of Neurology and Psychiatry, Kodaira, Tokyo, Japan.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Long COVID and myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) share debilitating symptoms and have been associated with limbic-system dysfunction. We investigated amygdala subfield volumes to identify disease-specific neuroanatomical features and their clinical and immunological correlates. Methods: We prospectively examined 27 patients with long COVID, 38 patients with ME/CFS, and 47 healthy controls (HCs). Amygdala subfields were segmented using high-resolution 3-T MRI and FreeSurfer software. Group comparisons were performed using analysis of covariance, and partial correlations with clinical and immunological indices, including autoantibodies, plasmablasts, regulatory T cells (Tregs), and Eomesodermin-positive helper T cells (Eomes+ Th cells), were assessed. Results: Patients with long COVID had nominally larger right cortical nucleus volumes than HCs (raw Conclusion: Although no finding survived correction for multiple testing, the exploratory results suggest that amygdala-related structural variation may be relevant to both long COVID and ME/CFS. The nominal, uncorrected within-group patterns centered on olfactory-related amygdala nuclei and GPCR autoantibodies in long COVID, and on amygdala structure, functional severity, and plasmablasts in ME/CFS; however, these patterns do not support a conclusion of between-group differences. These observations are hypothesis-generating and do not establish disease-specific mechanisms. Prespecified validation in larger longitudinal and independent cohorts is required.

Indexed as

AmygdalaCOVID-19Fatigue Syndrome, ChronicAdultFemaleHumansMagnetic Resonance ImagingMaleMiddle AgedPost-Acute COVID-19 SyndromeProspective StudiesamygdalaFreeSurferlong COVIDME/CFSmyalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome

Identifiers

PMID42819213
PMCPMC13623709

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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.