Higher limbic and basal ganglia volumes in surviving COVID-negative patients and the relations to fatigue

Background: Among systemic abnormalities caused by the novel coronavirus, little is known about the critical attack on the central nervous system (CNS). Few studies have shown cerebrovascular pathologies that indicate CNS involvement in acute patients. However, replication studies are necessary to v...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Rakibul Hafiz, Tapan Kumar Gandhi, Sapna Mishra, Alok Prasad, Vidur Mahajan, Xin Di, Benjamin H. Natelson, Bharat B. Biswal
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2022-06-01
Series:NeuroImage: Reports
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666956022000198
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1850252794410303488
author Rakibul Hafiz
Tapan Kumar Gandhi
Sapna Mishra
Alok Prasad
Vidur Mahajan
Xin Di
Benjamin H. Natelson
Bharat B. Biswal
author_facet Rakibul Hafiz
Tapan Kumar Gandhi
Sapna Mishra
Alok Prasad
Vidur Mahajan
Xin Di
Benjamin H. Natelson
Bharat B. Biswal
author_sort Rakibul Hafiz
collection DOAJ
description Background: Among systemic abnormalities caused by the novel coronavirus, little is known about the critical attack on the central nervous system (CNS). Few studies have shown cerebrovascular pathologies that indicate CNS involvement in acute patients. However, replication studies are necessary to verify if these effects persist in COVID-19 survivors more conclusively. Furthermore, recent studies indicate fatigue is highly prevalent among ‘long-COVID’ patients. How morphometry in each group relate to work-related fatigue need to be investigated. Method: COVID survivors were MRI scanned two weeks after hospital discharge. We hypothesized, these survivors will demonstrate altered gray matter volume (GMV) and experience higher fatigue levels when compared to healthy controls, leading to stronger correlation of GMV with fatigue. Voxel-based morphometry was performed on T1-weighted MRI images between 46 survivors and 30 controls. Unpaired two-sample t-test and multiple linear regression were performed to observe group differences and correlation of fatigue with GMV. Results: The COVID group experienced significantly higher fatigue levels and GMV of this group was significantly higher within the Limbic System and Basal Ganglia when compared to healthy controls. Moreover, while a significant positive correlation was observed across the whole group between GMV and self-reported fatigue, COVID subjects showed stronger effects within the Posterior Cingulate, Precuneus and Superior Parietal Lobule. Conclusion: Brain regions with GMV alterations in our analysis align with both single case acute patient reports and current group level neuroimaging findings. We also newly report a stronger positive correlation of GMV with fatigue among COVID survivors within brain regions associated with fatigue, indicating a link between structural abnormality and brain function in this cohort.
format Article
id doaj-art-624efc3cc97e451781354e7dd9716a5c
institution OA Journals
issn 2666-9560
language English
publishDate 2022-06-01
publisher Elsevier
record_format Article
series NeuroImage: Reports
spelling doaj-art-624efc3cc97e451781354e7dd9716a5c2025-08-20T01:57:32ZengElsevierNeuroImage: Reports2666-95602022-06-012210009510.1016/j.ynirp.2022.100095Higher limbic and basal ganglia volumes in surviving COVID-negative patients and the relations to fatigueRakibul Hafiz0Tapan Kumar Gandhi1Sapna Mishra2Alok Prasad3Vidur Mahajan4Xin Di5Benjamin H. Natelson6Bharat B. Biswal7Department of Biomedical Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), 323 Dr Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Newark, NJ, 07102, USADepartment of Electrical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Block II, IIT Delhi Main Rd, IIT Campus, Hauz Khas, New Delhi, Delhi 110016, India; Corresponding author.Department of Electrical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Block II, IIT Delhi Main Rd, IIT Campus, Hauz Khas, New Delhi, Delhi 110016, IndiaInternal Medicine, Irene Hospital & Senior Consultant Medicine, Metro Heart and Super-specialty Hospital, New Delhi, IndiaMahajan Imaging Center, HauzKhas, New Delhi, IndiaDepartment of Biomedical Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), 323 Dr Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Newark, NJ, 07102, USAPain & Fatigue Study Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, The Mount Sinai Hospital, 5 East 98th Street, 7th Floor, New York, NY, 10029, USADepartment of Biomedical Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT), 323 Dr Martin Luther King Jr Blvd, Newark, NJ, 07102, USA; Corresponding author.Background: Among systemic abnormalities caused by the novel coronavirus, little is known about the critical attack on the central nervous system (CNS). Few studies have shown cerebrovascular pathologies that indicate CNS involvement in acute patients. However, replication studies are necessary to verify if these effects persist in COVID-19 survivors more conclusively. Furthermore, recent studies indicate fatigue is highly prevalent among ‘long-COVID’ patients. How morphometry in each group relate to work-related fatigue need to be investigated. Method: COVID survivors were MRI scanned two weeks after hospital discharge. We hypothesized, these survivors will demonstrate altered gray matter volume (GMV) and experience higher fatigue levels when compared to healthy controls, leading to stronger correlation of GMV with fatigue. Voxel-based morphometry was performed on T1-weighted MRI images between 46 survivors and 30 controls. Unpaired two-sample t-test and multiple linear regression were performed to observe group differences and correlation of fatigue with GMV. Results: The COVID group experienced significantly higher fatigue levels and GMV of this group was significantly higher within the Limbic System and Basal Ganglia when compared to healthy controls. Moreover, while a significant positive correlation was observed across the whole group between GMV and self-reported fatigue, COVID subjects showed stronger effects within the Posterior Cingulate, Precuneus and Superior Parietal Lobule. Conclusion: Brain regions with GMV alterations in our analysis align with both single case acute patient reports and current group level neuroimaging findings. We also newly report a stronger positive correlation of GMV with fatigue among COVID survivors within brain regions associated with fatigue, indicating a link between structural abnormality and brain function in this cohort.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666956022000198COVID-19VBMLimbicBasal gangliaFatigue
spellingShingle Rakibul Hafiz
Tapan Kumar Gandhi
Sapna Mishra
Alok Prasad
Vidur Mahajan
Xin Di
Benjamin H. Natelson
Bharat B. Biswal
Higher limbic and basal ganglia volumes in surviving COVID-negative patients and the relations to fatigue
NeuroImage: Reports
COVID-19
VBM
Limbic
Basal ganglia
Fatigue
title Higher limbic and basal ganglia volumes in surviving COVID-negative patients and the relations to fatigue
title_full Higher limbic and basal ganglia volumes in surviving COVID-negative patients and the relations to fatigue
title_fullStr Higher limbic and basal ganglia volumes in surviving COVID-negative patients and the relations to fatigue
title_full_unstemmed Higher limbic and basal ganglia volumes in surviving COVID-negative patients and the relations to fatigue
title_short Higher limbic and basal ganglia volumes in surviving COVID-negative patients and the relations to fatigue
title_sort higher limbic and basal ganglia volumes in surviving covid negative patients and the relations to fatigue
topic COVID-19
VBM
Limbic
Basal ganglia
Fatigue
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666956022000198
work_keys_str_mv AT rakibulhafiz higherlimbicandbasalgangliavolumesinsurvivingcovidnegativepatientsandtherelationstofatigue
AT tapankumargandhi higherlimbicandbasalgangliavolumesinsurvivingcovidnegativepatientsandtherelationstofatigue
AT sapnamishra higherlimbicandbasalgangliavolumesinsurvivingcovidnegativepatientsandtherelationstofatigue
AT alokprasad higherlimbicandbasalgangliavolumesinsurvivingcovidnegativepatientsandtherelationstofatigue
AT vidurmahajan higherlimbicandbasalgangliavolumesinsurvivingcovidnegativepatientsandtherelationstofatigue
AT xindi higherlimbicandbasalgangliavolumesinsurvivingcovidnegativepatientsandtherelationstofatigue
AT benjaminhnatelson higherlimbicandbasalgangliavolumesinsurvivingcovidnegativepatientsandtherelationstofatigue
AT bharatbbiswal higherlimbicandbasalgangliavolumesinsurvivingcovidnegativepatientsandtherelationstofatigue