Longitudinal Brain Morphometry and NIH Toolbox Performance in Adolescents Before and After COVID-19

Motivation: A major gap in our current knowledge exists in understanding how SARS-CoV-2 infection during adolescence may impact brain structure and cognitive abilities. Goal(s): This study aimed to utilize pre-/post-pandemic MRI brain morphometry and NIH Toolbox cognitive data from the ABCD Study to evaluate whether neuroinflammation in youth with a history of COVID-19 would show persistent brain abnormalities, which in turn might mediate poorer cognitive performance. Approach: Longitudinal analyses using linear mixed effects models to compare COVID and Controls. Results: Despite the typically milder COVID symptomology in adolescents, abnormalities on brain morphometry, beyond age-related changes, are observed on structural MRI after infection. Impact: SARS-CoV-2 infected >16 million US children and may impact their brain development. We found morphometric abnormalities in adolescents with COVID-19, which necessitates further evaluation of long-term effects on brain development trajectories and possible interventions to mitigate cognitive consequences.