We Just Got More Evidence That Long COVID Is a Brain Injury
The exact nature of long COVID is still coming to light, but we just got some of the best evidence yet that this debilitating condition stems from a brain injury.
Using high-resolution scanners, researchers at the Universities of Cambridge and Oxford have shown microscopic, structural abnormalities in the brainstems of those recovering from COVID-19.
"We show that the brainstem is a site of vulnerability to long-term effects of COVID-19, with persistent changes evident in the months after hospitalization," the authors of the study conclude.
"These changes were more evident in patients with longer hospital stays, higher COVID severity, more prominent inflammatory responses, and worse functional outcomes."
The study was conducted among 31 people in the peak of the pandemic, who were hospitalized with COVID-19 before vaccinations were available.
Their brains were scanned at least three months after leaving hospital, yet even then, researchers noticed signs of inflammation in all three parts of the brainstem compared to healthy participants of the same age.
