Thapaliya, Marshall-Gradisnik, Eaton-Fitch, Eftekhari, Inderyas, Barnden
Abstract
This study aims to measure brain neurochemical levels in long COVID and ME/CFS patients as well as healthy controls to investigate associations with severity measures.
Methods
Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) data was acquired with a 3T Prisma MRI scanner. We measured absolute levels of brain neurochemicals in the posterior cingulate cortex in long COVID (n=17), ME/CFS (n=17), and healthy controls (n=10). Age and sex were included as nuisance covariates.
Results
Glutamate levels were significantly higher in long COVID (p=0.02) and ME/CFS (p=0.017) than in healthy controls. No significant difference was found between the two patient cohorts.
Additionally, N-acetyl-aspartate levels were significantly higher in long COVID patients (p=0.012). Importantly, brain neurochemical levels were associated with self-reported severity measures in long COVID and ME/CFS.
Conclusion
Our study identified significantly elevated Glutamate and N-acetyl-aspartate levels in long COVID and ME/CFS patients compared with healthy controls.
No significant differences in brain neurochemicals were observed between the two patient cohorts, suggesting a potential overlap in their underlying pathology.
These findings suggest that imbalanced neurochemicals contribute to the complex symptoms experienced by long COVID and ME/CFS patients.
Source: The American Journal of Medicine open access
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