Structural Brain Differences and Cognitive Performance between patients with Long-COVID and Normal Recovery

Previous research suggests that COVID-19 infection may be associated with brain changes that are similar to a decade of aging.1 It is unknown whether symptom duration influences brain structure. We compared participants with COVID-19 symptoms for more than 2 months (long-COVID) (n=43) to participants who recovered within 2 months (normal recovery) (n=56). We assessed white matter with diffusion tensor imaging, regional brain volumes using Freesurfer, and cognition using the NIH Toolbox. Although the effect of age on MRI indices and cognition was readily detectable, we found no differences between long-COVID and normal recovery on brain structure or cognitive performance.