Analysis of the Neurological Hallmarks of COVID-19. A Multivariate Approach Using 18F-FDG-PET Data

Despite the research efforts put into the study of COVID-19, the long-term neurological implications of this disease are still poorly known. Most studies focus on the description of the symptoms, the treatments applied and the evolution of the patients, but the analysis of the hallmarks caused by COVID-19 in the nervous system is still poorly covered.In this work, we performed a comparative analysis of brain
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F-FDG-PET data from healthy controls and patients who have had COVID-19 and continue to have symptoms and sequelae (Long COVID). By means of a multivariate approach based on the searchlight methodology, we identified some regions with significant differences (p ≤ 0.001) between both groups: Insular lobe, cingulum bundle, supp. motor area and frontal and temporal lobes (among others to a lesser extent). These findings are consistent with previous similar studies, which point to hypoperfusion/hypometabolism in frontal and temporal lobes and nearby areas.