SARS-CoV-2’s brain impact: revealing cortical and cerebellar differences via cluster analysis in COVID-19 recovered patients

期刊论文
发表日期：

2024年1月4日

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Angel Omar Romero-Molina,
Gabriel Ramirez-Garcia,
Amanda Chirino-Perez,
David Alejandro Fuentes-Zavaleta,
Carlos Roberto Hernandez-Castillo,
Oscar Marrufo-Melendez,
Diana Lopez-Gonzalez,
Mónica Rodriguez-Rodriguez,
Armando Castorena-Maldonado,
Yaneth Rodriguez-Agudelo,
Francisco Paz-Rodriguez,
Mireya Chavez-Oliveros,
Susana Lozano-Tovar,
Alonso Gutierrez-Romero,
Antonio Arauz-Gongora,
Raul Anwar Garcia-Santos,
Juan Fernandez-Ruiz

摘要

Background

COVID-19 is a disease known for its neurological involvement. SARS-CoV-2 infection triggers neuroinflammation, which could significantly contribute to the development of long-term neurological symptoms and structural alterations in the gray matter. However, the existence of a consistent pattern of cerebral atrophy remains uncertain.

Objective

Our study aimed to identify patterns of brain involvement in recovered COVID-19 patients and explore potential relationships with clinical variables during hospitalization.

Methodology

In this study, we included 39 recovered patients and 39 controls from a pre-pandemic database to ensure their non-exposure to the virus. We obtained clinical data of the patients during hospitalization, and 3 months later; in addition we obtained T1-weighted magnetic resonance images and performed standard screening cognitive tests.

Results

We identified two groups of recovered patients based on a cluster analysis of the significant cortical thickness differences between patients and controls. Group 1 displayed significant cortical thickness differences in specific cerebral regions, while Group 2 exhibited significant differences in the cerebellum, though neither group showed cognitive deterioration at the group level. Notably, Group 1 showed a tendency of higher D-dimer values during hospitalization compared to Group 2, prior to p-value correction.

Conclusion

This data-driven division into two groups based on the brain structural differences, and the possible link to D-dimer values may provide insights into the underlying mechanisms of SARS-COV-2 neurological disruption and its impact on the brain during and after recovery from the disease.