A groundbreaking study published in Nature Medicine reveals that two blood biomarkers may be predictive of long-term cognitive deficits—including “brain fog”—in COVID-19 survivors.
Conducted by Maxime Taquet and colleagues, the study analyzed data from 1,837 patients hospitalized with COVID-19 in the UK and found correlations between specific blood biomarkers and post-acute cognitive issues.
These findings could have significant implications for the understanding, prognosis, and management of persistent cognitive deficits in COVID-19 survivors.
Identifying the Biomarkers
Blood samples from the hospitalized patients were collected and analyzed for various biomarkers.
The team identified two specific blood biomarker profiles correlated with cognitive deficits six and 12 months post-infection:
High Levels of Fibrinogen: Associated with both objective (clinician-assessed) and subjective (patient-reported) cognitive deficits.
Elevated Levels of D-Dimer: Linked primarily to subjective cognitive deficits like “brain fog,” as well as symptoms like fatigue and shortness of breath.
Validation in Independent Cohort
The results were further validated using health records from 17,911 U.S. patients.
This separate dataset not only confirmed the UK findings but also indicated the specificity of d-dimer levels in relation to COVID-19, distinguishing it from pre-pandemic cohorts.
Potential Impact
The identification of these biomarkers could help clinicians better understand, diagnose, and manage long-term cognitive deficits in COVID-19 survivors.
These could include both subjective symptoms like “brain fog” and objective cognitive declines measurable through medical tests.
The findings could pave the way for the development of models to predict which COVID-19 patients are at higher risk for long-term cognitive deficits. This could enable targeted interventions and possibly prevent more severe outcomes.
While the findings offer promising avenues for treatment and management, the authors emphasize that more research is needed, including studies involving more diverse patient cohorts.
Conclusion
The discovery of these blood biomarkers offers a new pathway for understanding the long-term cognitive impact of COVID-19.
They could serve as a basis for diagnostic tools and intervention strategies, providing hope for those grappling with persistent cognitive challenges post-infection.
However, as this is an emerging area of research, further studies are necessary to fully grasp the long-term cognitive implications of COVID-19.
If you care about COVID, please read studies about new evidence on rare blood clots after COVID-19 vaccination, and how diets could help manage post-COVID syndrome.
For more information about COVID, please see recent studies that low-sodium plant-based diets may prevent COVID-19 better, and results showing zinc could help reduce COVID-19 infection risk.
The study was published in Nature Medicine.
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