Neuropsychologic Profiles and Cerebral Glucose Metabolism in Neurocognitive Long COVID Syndrome

Abstract

During the Corona Virus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, Long COVID-syndrome, which impairs patients through cognitive deficits, fatigue, and exhaustion, has become increasingly relevant. Its underlying pathophysiology, however, is unknown. In this study, we assessed cognitive profiles and regional cerebral glucose metabolism as a biomarker of neuronal function in outpatients suffering from long-term neurocognitive symptoms after COVID-19.Methods: Outpatients seeking neurological counseling with neurocognitive symptoms persisting for more than three months after polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-confirmed

18F-FDG-PET Imaging for Post-COVID-19 Brain and Skeletal Muscle Alterations

“…This finding largely confirms the topography of brain hypometabolism in patients with post-COVID-19 with persistent hyposmia or with other functional complaints [41]. Lastly, Dressing et al [43] assessed cognitive profiles and regional cerebral glucose metabolism as a biomarker of neuronal function in outpatients suffering from long-term neurocognitive symptoms after COVID-19. Patients with long-term symptoms (202 ± 58 days after positive PCR) were assessed with a neuropsychological test battery and cerebral 18 F-FDG PET imaging was performed in a subset of the patients.…”

“…Some studies (summarized in Table 1) have shown that Post-COVID-19 patients with persistent functional symptoms and complaints demonstrate continuous 18 F-FDG-PET hypometabolism in various brain regions [37][38][39][40][41][42][43]. Reduced metabolic activity in the orbitofrontal cortex in COVID-19 anosmia was found by Karimi-Galougahi et al [37], which might suggest that impaired neural function of this region might be a causative mechanism for anosmia, likely due to direct neurotropism of SARS-CoV-2 [39].…”

Changes in cognitive functioning after COVID‐19: A systematic review and meta‐analysis

“…In a study by Hosp et al., 15 neurological symptoms and executive deficits correlated with frontoparietal hypometabolism in fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)–positron emission tomography (PET). Conversely, a recent cohort study 30 in patients (n = 31) in the long‐term phase after COVID‐19 (202 ± 58 days after positive PCR) with self‐reported symptoms of Long COVID showed minor cognitive impairments only on the single‐patient level. In contrast, cerebral F‐FDG‐PET failed to reveal a distinct pathological signature; however, a high prevalence of fatigue was found in the sample.…”

“…The quality of case‐control and cohort studies was assessed judging three categories: the selection of the study groups, the comparability of the groups; and the ascertainment of either the exposure or outcome of interest for case‐control or cohort studies, respectively. In summary, when using the Agency for Health Research and Quality (AHRQ) threshold standards, 9 of the 20 studies were good, 15,23,25,27,29,32,33,36,31 1 was fair, 28 and 10 were poor 10–12,14,16,24,30,34,35,37 …”

“…Research and Quality (AHRQ) threshold standards, 9 of the 20 studies were good, 15,23,25,27,29,32,33,36,31 1 was fair, 28 and 10 were poor. [10][11][12]14,16,24,30,34,35,37 4 DISCUSSION…”