A recent study suggests that Long Covid may induce alterations in the brain similar to those observed in patients with Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers at New York University (NYU) Langone Hospital investigated the choroid plexus (CP), a network of blood vessels responsible for producing cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and maintaining the blood-CSF barrier. Long Covid patients exhibited a 10% larger CP compared to those who had recovered from the initial infection without long-term symptoms. These patients also showed a slight decline in cognitive function based on a standard screening test.
Furthermore, the study found that increased CP size correlated with elevated levels of proteins associated with Alzheimer’s disease progression and brain injury response. The research, published in Alzheimer’s & Dementia, included 86 Long Covid patients, 67 recovered individuals, and 26 healthy controls.
Dr. Yulin Ge, a professor at NYU Grossman School of Medicine, highlighted that prolonged immune reactions following Covid infection could lead to CP swelling, potentially causing damage to the brain barrier and cognitive decline akin to Alzheimer’s disease. It remains unclear if these changes are reversible, pending further analysis of patient data.
Long Covid, characterized by symptoms persisting beyond 12 weeks post-infection, continues to be under investigation. Common symptoms include fatigue, shortness of breath, muscle pain, and cognitive impairment. The study authors emphasized that compromised blood flow in the CP could impede CSF production, leading to waste accumulation and barrier integrity issues.
Senior author Thomas M. Wisniewski expressed the need for longitudinal studies to determine the predictive value of CP alterations on long-term cognitive outcomes. The World Health Organization reports that approximately 6 out of 100 Covid-19 patients develop Long Covid, for which there is no specific treatment currently available.
