Study on the Relationship between Brain Volume,Cortical Structure and Fatigue and Anxiety in Patients with Acute COVID-19
Objective The novel coronavirus can impact the structure of the brain,but the specific characteristics of cortical structural changes and their relationship with fatigue,depression,and anxiety remain unclear.This study aims to conduct a comprehensive analysis of longitudinal changes in cortical thickness,surface area,and curvature in the brains of COVID-19 patients.Additionally,we will explore the association between these changes and cognitive impairment,anxiety,and fatigue experienced by the patients.Methods A prospective cohort of 31 COVID-19 patients was enrolled within one month of infection and underwent neuroimaging scans as well as neuropsychological assessments.Follow-up data were collected three months later to track the progression.Advanced Al-based post-processing techniques were employed for automated segmentation,enabling the measurement of volume(cm3)and percentage of each specific brain region,as well as cortical thickness(cm),surface area(cm2),and curvature.Comparative analyses were conducted to determine changes in brain volume and cortical structure,while correlations between brain structural parameters and cognition,fatigue,and depression were evaluated.Results At the three month mark following the acute infection,statistically significant differences were observed in brain volume,cortical thickness,surface area,and curvature in select brain regions,predominantly within the left frontal-temporal lobe and hippocampus.Notably,fatigue correlated with the curvature of the right hippocampus and the left temporal pole,whereas depression was linked to the curvature of the left insula.Anxiety was found to be associated with the curvature of the left prefrontal cortex,left occipital lobe,left inferior parietal lobule,and left anterior cingulate gyrus.Furthermore,anxiety showed connections with cortical thickness in the left prefrontal cortex and curvature in the left temporal pole.Conclusion This study reveals that three months post-infection,COVID-19 survivors exhibit notable abnormalities in cortical structure.These changes,particularly in the left frontal-temporal lobe and hippocampus,appear to be associated with fatigue,depression,and anxiety symptoms.By shedding light on the pathophysiology of acute COVID-19 infection,these findings contribute to a deeper understanding of its impact on the brain.
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