Long COVID patients show brain swelling linked to memory and concentration problems, study finds

ABC NEWS (Australia)

An Australian study has found a similarity between the brains of people with 'long COVID' and those with 'chronic fatigue syndrome.' Both conditions show swelling in the hippocampus, the part of the brain linked to memory and cognition.

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00:00For more than 20 years, Debbie Flesser has lived with myalgic encephalomyelitis, also

00:09known as chronic fatigue syndrome.

00:11She suffers crushing tiredness, memory issues, brain fog and trouble sleeping.

00:17The fatigue is all day, every day.

00:20The former psychologist can't work and there's no effective treatment.

00:25It's taken my hopes and dreams that I had and it leaves you when you live alone with

00:32a great deal of isolation and loneliness.

00:35Researchers at Griffith University are studying patients with MECFS and long COVID, illnesses

00:42with similar symptoms.

00:44They scanned the brains of 46 patients and compared them with 15 people who have neither

00:50condition.

00:51We found these regions were significantly larger.

00:55In the published research, they found the seahorse shaped part of the brain, called

00:59the hippocampus, is enlarged in patients with both conditions.

01:04This allows us now to have that information to say, well, there is that commonality and

01:10perhaps we need to explore that even further in larger populations, not only here but in

01:16other research teams worldwide.

01:18The study also found the size of the hippocampus increased in line with the severity of patient

01:24symptoms.

01:25Professor Corey Smith wasn't involved in the study and says while small, it further validates

01:32the illnesses are physiological, not psychological.

01:36These symptoms are happening to people and I think this again provides supporting evidence

01:40for that and we need to continue investigating it.

01:43The ultimate goal is the development of diagnostic tests and treatments.

01:48It's giving all of us in the ME community hope for something in the future.

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