Scientists discover link between Alzheimer's and long COVID on MRI scans
New research out of NYU Langone Health links long COVID and Alzheimer’s disease findings in a key region of the brain.
According to the team’s work, imaging findings pertaining to the size of and blood flowing to the choroid plexus may be a common denominator between the two conditions. This network of blood vessels produces cerebrospinal fluid, which serves as a protective barrier to the brain. Prior research has suggested that the cells lining the blood vessels of the choroid plexus may be vulnerable to the effects of COVID-19, causing inflammation.
"Our work suggests that long-term immune reactions caused in some cases after an initial COVID infection may come with swelling that damages a critical brain barrier in the choroid plexus," said senior study author Yulin Ge, MD, a professor in NYU's department of radiology. "Physical, molecular and clinical evidence suggests that a larger [choroid plexus] may be an early warning sign of future Alzheimer's-like cognitive decline."
The study, which included advanced brain imaging and memory/cognitive assessments for nearly 200 individuals, revealed that individuals suffering with long COVID often have a 10% larger choroid plexus size and reduced blood flow through the region compared to those who fully recovered from the virus. These individuals also scored on average 2% lower on memory and cognition assessments.
Ge and colleagues' findings correlate with blood levels of proteins that are associated with Alzheimer's disease and reduced cognitive function. The researchers suggested that both COVID and AD cause a sort of “vascular remodeling” as a result of long-term inflammation in cells lining the blood vessels of the choroid plexus. This can create scar tissue that hinders blood flow, causing long-term damage that impairs cerebrospinal fluid production, but additional research is needed to validate such findings, the team suggested.
"Our next step is to follow these patients over time to see if the brain changes we identified can predict who will develop long-term cognitive issues," said senior study author and NYU neurologist Thomas Wisniewski, MD. "A larger, long-term study will be needed to clarify whether these [cerebrospinal fluid] alterations are a cause or a consequence of the neurological symptoms, which promises to better focus treatment design efforts," he added.
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In addition to her background in journalism, Hannah also has patient-facing experience in clinical settings, having spent more than 12 years working as a registered rad tech. She began covering the medical imaging industry for Innovate Healthcare in 2021.