VIRAL-MI
for scientists

This study looked at how brain metabolism and connectivity are affected in people recovering from COVID-19, especially in relation to ongoing cognitive symptoms. Using multimodal MRI and spectroscopy, researchers compared COVID-19 survivors to healthy individuals, finding that patients showed higher levels of two key brain chemicals – glutamate and N-acetyl-aspartate (NAA) – which are important for neuronal health and myelin repair. These higher levels were linked to healthier brain white matter and fewer cognitive complaints, suggesting that the brain may be engaging in a repair process. In addition, higher NAA levels were associated with stronger connections between brain regions involved in attention and self-regulation. The findings point to a possible neurobiological basis for post-COVID cognitive recovery, highlighting glutamate and NAA as potential biomarkers of brain healing and resilience following SARS-CoV-2 infection.

New study highlights altered immune responses to COVID-19 vaccination in severe mental illness A recently published study examined innate and adaptive immune responses to SARS-CoV-2 vaccination in patients with severe mental illness (SMI) compared to non-psychiatric controls. Findings revealed that, on top of elevated baseline inflammation, SMI patients displayed exaggerated cytokine responses but attenuated antibody responses following vaccination dose. These patterns suggest dysregulated immune dynamics in SMI, with higher cytokine activity potentially contributing to weaker adaptive responses. Results underscore the importance of considering immunological vulnerability in SMI and demonstrate the value of longitudinal, immune-challenge study designs in psychiatric research.

Many people who recover from COVID-19 continue to report problems with memory, concentration, or mental clarity. This study explored the brain changes behind these self-reported cognitive difficul-ties. Unlike studies that focus on test-based measures, this one looked specifically at what patients said they were experiencing. Using a multimodal MRI approach, the researchers found clear differ-ences in brain structure and function between people who reported cognitive problems and those who did not. The group reporting cognitive complaints showed signs of damage in the brain’s white matter – specifically in tracts involved in cognitive processing and communication between brain regions – and altered connectivity in regions linked to attention and self-awareness, such as the right frontal pole and middle temporal gyrus. These patterns suggest disrupted network dynamics and possible metacognitive dysfunction. These findings suggest that the “subjective cognitive difficulties experi-enced by some COVID-19 survivors has a biological basis and may be linked to changes in how differ-ent parts of the brain communicate. This highlights the need for early monitoring and possible treat-ments to support cognitive recovery.

This study explored whether Cognitive Remediation Therapy (CRT) – a type of training designed to improve cognitive skills – could help COVID-19 survivors who were still experiencing cognitive prob-lems one month after leaving the hospital. Out of 73 patients with cognitive deficits, 15 took part in a two-month CRT program, while 30 matched controls received no treatment. Only those who com-pleted the CRT program showed clear improvements in overall cognitive functioning, especially in ar-eas like verbal and executive fluency, skills that were strongly linked to better quality of life. The study also found that people with more severe depressive symptoms tended to perform worse on cognitive tests. These preliminary results suggest that CRT may be a promising tool to improve cognitive func-tion and well-being in COVID-19 survivors facing long-term mental fog and attention difficulties.

Even a year after recovering from COVID-19, many people continue to struggle with mental health is-sues like depression, anxiety, PTSD, and fatigue. This study followed a group of COVID-19 survivors in Italy over 1, 6, and 12 months, using self-report surveys to track their emotional and psychological well-being. The researchers found that around 45% of participants still reported significant psychiatric symptoms after a year, and about a third experienced ongoing fatigue. Interestingly, men tended to worsen over time in terms of depression and anxiety, while symptoms in women generally improved. The study also found that early psychological symptoms – seen as soon as one month after recovery – were strong predictors of mental health outcomes one year later. These findings highlight the need for long-term mental health support after COVID-19, even in those who appear physically recovered.

After COVID-19, some people continue to experience lasting depressive symptoms. To explore the possible neurobiological causes, researchers examined a group of survivors and used brain imaging to measure glutathione – an important antioxidant that protects brain cells from stress – in the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC), a brain region involved in emotional regulation. They found that people with lower glutathione levels in the ACC were more likely to have depressive symptoms and showed more signs of damage in the brain’s white matter. The study also found that higher levels of inflammation in the body were linked to lower glutathione in the brain. This suggests that inflamma-tion and oxidative stress may play a role in the mental health challenges faced by COVID-19 survivors, pointing to potential new targets for treatment and prevention.

This study followed people who had been hospitalized for COVID-19 to assess how the illness affected their cognitive functioning and quality of life up to six months after discharge. The researchers found that about 75% of patients showed problems in at least one area of cognitive functioning – such as at-tention, coordination, decision-making, or verbal fluency – and these issues did not improve much over time. Compared to healthy individuals, COVID-19 survivors performed worse on cognitive tests, though they generally did better than people with major depressive disorder. Depression was found to be the strongest factor linked to these cognitive problems and had a major impact on daily life, espe-cially in areas like self-care and physical activity. These results suggest that cognitive symptoms after COVID-19 are both persistent and clinically meaningful, with depression playing a key role in shaping cognitive recovery and daily functioning.

Many people continue to experience depression, anxiety, or emotional distress after recovering from COVID-19. This study looked at whether those lingering feelings might be linked to lasting changes in the brain. Using detailed MRI scans, researchers found that people who had higher levels of inflam-mation during their COVID-19 illness were more likely to show changes in brain involved in manag-ing emotions and stress – especially in the anterior cingulate cortex and in the insula. These changes included not only a reduction in grey matter volumes, but also disrupted connections between brain regions responsible for emotional and cognitive processing. In short, the body’s immune response to the virus might leave behind lasting effects in the brain, which could explain why some people are at an increase in the risk of depression and trauma-related symptoms.

This study followed 226 people who had been hospitalized for COVID-19, checking in three months after discharge to understand how the illness affected their mental health and cognition. The re-searchers found that more than one-third of patients were still experiencing symptoms of depression, and nearly 80% had some level of cognitive difficulty – especially with executive function and coordi-nation. Importantly, people who had higher levels of inflammation during their hospital stay were more likely to develop depression and cognitive problems later on. Moreover, changes in inflamma-tion over time closely matched changes in depressive symptoms. These findings suggest that ongoing inflammation may play a key role in the lasting mental health and cognitive effects of COVID-19, and that tracking inflammation could help guide more targeted treatments and recovery support.

This study followed 402 people who had been hospitalized with COVID-19 and assessed their mental health one month after discharge. Researchers looked at symptoms of anxiety, depression, PTSD, in-somnia, and obsessive-compulsive symptoms, and explored how these were related to levels of in-flammation in the body. They found that 31% of participants met the criteria for depression, 42% for anxiety, and over half had at least one mental health condition. Women and those with a prior history of mental illness reported more symptoms, even though their inflammation levels were similar to others. Importantly, higher levels of inflammation during hospitalization predicted greater levels of anxiety and depression at follow-up. These results suggest that both biological inflammation and psy-chosocial stressors play a role in post-COVID mental health issues, and that tracking inflammation may help identify who is most at risk.