SARS-CoV-2’s brain impact: revealing cortical and cerebellar differences via cluster analysis in COVID-19 recovered patients

Background COVID-19 is a disease known for its neurological involvement. SARS-CoV-2 infection triggers neuroinflammation, which could significantly contribute to the development of long-term neurological symptoms and structural alterations in the gray matter. However, the existence of a consistent p...

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Published in:Neurological sciences 2024-03, Vol.45 (3), p.837-848
Main Authors: Romero-Molina, Angel Omar, Ramirez-Garcia, Gabriel, Chirino-Perez, Amanda, Fuentes-Zavaleta, David Alejandro, Hernandez-Castillo, Carlos Roberto, Marrufo-Melendez, Oscar, Lopez-Gonzalez, Diana, Rodriguez-Rodriguez, Mónica, Castorena-Maldonado, Armando, Rodriguez-Agudelo, Yaneth, Paz-Rodriguez, Francisco, Chavez-Oliveros, Mireya, Lozano-Tovar, Susana, Gutierrez-Romero, Alonso, Arauz-Gongora, Antonio, Garcia-Santos, Raul Anwar, Fernandez-Ruiz, Juan
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Atrophy
Brain - diagnostic imaging
Cerebellum
Cerebellum - pathology
Cluster Analysis
Cognitive ability
COVID-19
COVID-19 - complications
COVID-19 - pathology
Hospitalization
Humans
Inflammation
Magnetic resonance imaging
Medicine
Medicine & Public Health
Neurology
Neuroradiology
Neurosurgery
Psychiatry
SARS-CoV-2
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2
Substantia grisea
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Summary:Background COVID-19 is a disease known for its neurological involvement. SARS-CoV-2 infection triggers neuroinflammation, which could significantly contribute to the development of long-term neurological symptoms and structural alterations in the gray matter. However, the existence of a consistent pattern of cerebral atrophy remains uncertain. Objective Our study aimed to identify patterns of brain involvement in recovered COVID-19 patients and explore potential relationships with clinical variables during hospitalization. Methodology In this study, we included 39 recovered patients and 39 controls from a pre-pandemic database to ensure their non-exposure to the virus. We obtained clinical data of the patients during hospitalization, and 3 months later; in addition we obtained T1-weighted magnetic resonance images and performed standard screening cognitive tests. Results We identified two groups of recovered patients based on a cluster analysis of the significant cortical thickness differences between patients and controls. Group 1 displayed significant cortical thickness differences in specific cerebral regions, while Group 2 exhibited significant differences in the cerebellum, though neither group showed cognitive deterioration at the group level. Notably, Group 1 showed a tendency of higher D-dimer values during hospitalization compared to Group 2, prior to p -value correction. Conclusion This data-driven division into two groups based on the brain structural differences, and the possible link to D-dimer values may provide insights into the underlying mechanisms of SARS-COV-2 neurological disruption and its impact on the brain during and after recovery from the disease.
ISSN:1590-1874
1590-3478
DOI:10.1007/s10072-023-07266-x