Leakage of blood vessels in the brain associated with brain fog in long-term coronavirus patients

With researchers from Trinity College Dublin future neuro Brain fog found in long COVID Some of the causes in patients are caused by leaky blood vessels in the brain. They presented their research results.Blood-brain barrier disruption and persistent systemic inflammation in individuals with long-lasting cognitive impairment associated with COVID-19” in Natural neuroscience.

“Vascular destruction is implicated in the pathogenesis of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and may predispose to neurological sequelae associated with long-term COVID-19 infection, but in these settings “It is unclear how blood-brain barrier (BBB) ​​function is affected,” the paper writes. scientists.

“Here we show that disruption of the BBB is evident during acute infection and in long-standing COVID-19 patients with cognitive impairment commonly referred to as brain fog. Using dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging, demonstrate disruption of the BBB in patients with long-term COVID-19-related brain fog. Transcriptome analysis of peripheral blood mononuclear cells reveals dysregulation of the coagulation system and adaptive immune response in people with brain fog. It became clear that there was a decline in

“Thus, peripheral blood mononuclear cells showed increased adhesion to human brain endothelial cells in vitro, whereas exposure of brain endothelial cells to serum from patients with long-term COVID-19 infection led to increased inflammation. Marker expression was induced. Taken together, our data demonstrate that persistent systemic inflammation and persistent local BBB dysfunction are key features of long-term COVID-19-associated brain fog. That suggests something.”

New technology to study long-lasting coronavirus

“We are now able to show for the first time that leaky blood vessels in the human brain, in conjunction with an overactive immune system, may be a major cause of the long-term coronavirus-related brain fog. “This is extremely important because understanding the underlying causes of the symptoms of patients will enable us to develop targeted therapies for patients in the future,” said Professor of Genetics and Head of Genetics at Trinity and FutureNeuro's said lead researcher Dr. Matthew Campbell.

The research team used a new form of MRI scan, dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging, to identify changes in the neurovasculature. Data shows that long-corona patients with brain fog and other cognitive impairments (memory loss, difficulty concentrating, thinking) have reduced vascular integrity compared to long-corona patients without this constellation of symptoms. However, common symptoms include fatigue, shortness of breath, and joint pain. For people suffering from long-term COVID-19 symptoms for more than 12 weeks after the onset of COVID-19, finding answers and relief can be difficult. Researchers and clinicians are struggling to identify and treat Long COVID patients, who can represent up to 10% of patients infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

The team also aimed to investigate how the effects of the coronavirus on the blood-brain barrier affect different categories of long-term coronavirus symptoms.

“We investigated the function of the blood-brain barrier. [and] “We have shown that the barrier is not functioning properly in these patients,” said Dr. Colin Doherty, professor of neurology and director of medicine at Trinity University and principal investigator of FutureNeuro. Masu. video interview About the meaning of research. “We now know that there is a clear pathological basis for the long-lasting coronavirus. Not only that, but we now have at least a variety of treatments available to repair the barrier. So these The next stage of research will be very exciting with the possibility of distant treatments.”

connect the dots

This is not the first study to investigate the root cause of neurological deficits in Long coronavirus patients. Many recent reports have focused on the health effects of this disease. immune system. Just two weeks ago, another team investigated a similar phenomenon: the neurological effects caused by viral infections. This group has identified neurological disorders caused by viruses such as: Zika virus infection activates a sustained immune response.Common and often persistent neurological symptoms Symptoms of anosmia were studied Two years ago, they examined inflammatory markers in a nasal biopsy and found an increase in those markers and T-cell counts.

This study opens another door to examining the effects of viral infections on the integrity of the vasculature. The research group wanted to examine the effects on the brain when there is a disruption of the blood-brain barrier coupled with increased inflammation. This study illuminates an area of ​​neurological research that scientists are beginning to explore. Recent studies have concluded that viral infections are likely to trigger several neurological conditions, including long-term COVID-19 infections and multiple sclerosis (MS). This study suggests that leaky blood vessels and disruption of the blood-brain barrier may be factors in the development of these symptoms.

“Our findings set the stage for further research examining the molecular events that lead to fatigue and brain fog after viral infection. No doubt, similar mechanisms are at work in many different types of viral infections,” said Dr. We are excitingly getting closer to understanding how and why they cause neurological dysfunction in patients,” added postdoctoral researcher Dr. Chris Green.