Observational analysis reveals differences in white matter hyperintensities and cognitive performance in COVID-19 patients, highlighting significant effects of hospitalization.
Motivation: COVID-19 negatively impacts brain health, with clinical MRI showing a wide range of neurologic manifestations but no consistent pattern. Goal(s): Determine whether differences exist in white matter hyperintensity (WMH) burden, hippocampal volume, and cognitive function between COVID-19 patients with and without hospitalization. Approach: 190 participants were scanned at 7T across three USA and one UK sites. MP2RAGE, FLAIR, and TSE sequences were analyzed. Results: We observed similar WMH, smaller hippocampal volumes, and poorer cognitive performance in age-matched hospitalized patients. Impact: This study contributes to understanding the neurological impact of COVID-19, revealing that hospitalized patients experience hippocampal volume reduction and cognitive decline. It emphasizes the utility of advanced 7T MRI in detecting subtle brain changes, guiding future research and clinical care.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Liou et al. (2025) studied this question.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: