The mysteries of the impact of COVID-19 infection continue to be a cause of concern among doctors and scientists. A new study has revealed that COVID-19 infection may alter the structure of your brain.
A team of researchers in China has found that an infection caused by the Omicron variant of COVID-19 can lead to thinning of gray matter in the brain. The findings of the study were published in JAMA Network Open journal last week.
The study, conducted on 61 male patients with Omicron infection, revealed that “the gray matter thickness in the left precuneus and right lateral occipital region and the ratio of the right hippocampus volume to the total intracranial volume were significantly reduced in the acute phase.”
According to the researchers, the thickness of the Gray Matter and subcortical nuclear volume injury were significantly associated with anxiety and cognitive function.
The scientists maintain that these findings highlight the impact of omicron infection on emotional and cognitive mechanisms.
“In this cohort study of male patients infected with the Omicron variant, the duration of symptoms in multiple systems after infection was short,” the study authors wrote. “Changes in gray matter thickness and subcortical nuclear volume injury were observed in the post-Omicron period.”
During the study, the team had collected MRI and neuropsychiatric data after COVID-19 infection and tracked clinical symptoms for three months. The study also reveals that imaging can enable early detection and treatment of neurologic complications.
