Examining neuroimaging biomarkers, plasma biomarkers and cognitive functions in patients with recovered COVID-19 infection: a multicentre study using 7T MRI

We examined the impact of COVID-19 hospitalization on neuroimaging biomarkers and the association of these neuroimaging biomarkers with cognitive measures and plasma biomarkers. A total of 179 dementia-free people, including 52 hospitalized COVID-19 patients, across four medical centres in the USA and UK underwent 7T brain MRI scans, cognitive tests and blood collection. We found that hospitalized patients exhibited a comparable white matter hyperintensity burden, lower total hippocampal volume and lower plasma glial fibrillary acidic protein concentration, along with poorer memory performance, compared to age-matched non-hospitalized participants. Higher white matter hyperintensity burden was associated with older age, worse cognitive scores and higher plasma biomarker levels; higher total hippocampal volume was associated with younger age, better cognitive scores and lower plasma phosphorylated tau levels. However, these correlation coefficients did not differ between the hospitalized and non-hospitalized groups. Longitudinal studies are needed to clarify the long-term impact of COVID-19-related hospitalization.