Brain scans reveal a possible cause of long COVID fatigue and brain fog

Scientists from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health have discovered the strongest evidence to date that long COVID is associated with damage to dopamine-releasing neurons in the brain. Using positron emission tomography (PET) scans, they found substantially lower levels of a dopamine neuron health marker in long COVID patients compared to healthy individuals. Long COVID affects approximately five percent of the global population, including roughly two million people in Canada. Different patterns of marker loss were linked to different symptoms: lower levels in certain brain regions were associated with loss of motivation, slower movement, and memory difficulties. The research builds on previous findings by the same team showing high levels of brain inflammation in long COVID patients. These new findings could lead to new treatment strategies targeting the brain's dopamine system.