Brain changes discovered in patients still dealing with long COVID

There are distinct changes in the brains of individuals with long COVID, differing from those who have fully recovered from the virus, a new study reveals. Approximately one in four people who contract the virus develop lingering symptoms even after the infection clears. The condition is marked by a variety of persistent ailments such as cognitive difficulties, altered senses of smell or taste, fatigue, musculoskeletal pain, shortness of breath, and digestive complications. These symptoms can last for weeks, months, or even years post-infection.  The underlying mechanisms of long COVID remain largely uncharted. However, a team of German researchers has discovered unique patterns of brain changes in long COVID patients, unlike those observed in patients who have completely recuperated from COVID-19. They utilized diffusion microstructure imaging (DMI), an advanced MRI technique, to discern these variations.