Researchers at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) in Toronto have discovered elevated levels of inflammation in the brains of patients with persistent symptoms of “long COVID.”
The study was published in the journal JAMA Psychiatry.
Long COVID refers to a range of symptoms that continue for weeks or even months after the acute phase of the SARS-CoV-2 infection has resolved.
These prolonged symptoms can affect multiple organ systems, with neurological and psychiatric symptoms such as depression, memory impairment, slower motor control, and decreased motivation and energy among the most commonly reported.
Dr. Jeffrey Meyer, Head of the Neuroimaging Program in Mood & Anxiety at the Campbell Family Mental Health Research Institute at CAMH, and his team used advanced brain scanning techniques, specifically positron emission tomography (PET) imaging, to detect levels of a protein called TSPO.
Elevated levels of TSPO indicate inflammation in the brain.
The researchers found that TSPO levels remained high in patients who developed depression within months of having a mild to moderate COVID-19 infection.
“What’s new about this study is that it shows that inflammation is hanging around for a long time in the brains of people with long COVID,” Dr. Meyer said.
Of the 20 participants in the study, all reported symptoms of depression continuing for months after an acute COVID-19 episode.
Most also reported other symptoms associated with long COVID, including extreme fatigue, concentration difficulties, and memory problems often referred to as ‘brain fog’.
Interestingly, regions of the brain that had the most inflammation were the ones involved in the capacity to enjoy things, motivational energy, and the ability to think and move quickly.
These were often the symptoms of greatest concern among the participants with long COVID.
This study builds on Dr. Meyer’s previous research, which found an association between depression and brain inflammation.
The team believes that their findings could lead to new treatments for long COVID, depression, and potentially other illnesses associated with brain inflammation, such as Parkinson’s disease.
“For people who have been suffering from long COVID with lingering symptoms of depression, the hope is that we can use anti-inflammatory medications to see if we can get a reduction in symptoms,” said Dr. Joeffre Braga, the study’s first author.
If you care about inflammation, please read studies that Vitamin D deficiency may increase death risk, and vitamin B may help fight COVID-19 and reduce inflammation.
For more information about nutrition, please see recent studies about new way to halt excessive inflammation, and results showing this diet may help reduce inflammation in COVID-19.
The study was published in JAMA Psychiatry.
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