Effects of COVID-19 on brain and cerebellum: a voxel based morphometrical analysis.

OBJECTIVE: COVID-19 is caused by SARS-CoV-2 virus and turned into a pandemic in a short time, affects many organs and systems, especially the nervous system. In the present study, it was aimed to determine the morphological and volumetric changes in cortical and subcortical structures in recovered COVID-19 patients.

BACKGROUND: We think that COVID-19 has a long-term effect on cortical and subcortical structures.

METHODS: In our study, 50 post-COVID-19 patients and 50 healthy volunteers participated. In both groups, brain parcellations were made with Voxel-Based Morphometry (VBM) and regions showing density changes in the brain and cerebellum were determined. Gray matter (GM), white matter, cerebrospinal fluid and total intracranial volume were calculated.

RESULTS: Neurological symptoms developed in 80% of COVID-19 patients. In post-COVID-19 patients, a decrease in GM density was detected in pons, gyrus frontalis inferior, gyri orbitales, gyrus rectus, gyrus cinguli, lobus parietalis, gyrus supramarginalis, gyrus angularis, hippocampus, lobulus semilunaris superior of cerebellum, declive, and Brodmann area 7-11-39-40. There was a significant decrease in GM density in these regions and an increase in GM density in amygdala (p<0.001). The GM volume of post-COVID-19 group was found to be less than in the healthy group.

CONCLUSIONS: As a result, it was seen that COVID-19 negatively affected many structures related to the nervous system. This study is a pioneering study to determine the consequences of COVID-19, especially in the nervous system, and to determine the etiology of these possible problems (Tab. 4, Fig. 5, Ref. 25). Text in PDF www.elis.sk Keywords: COVID-19, pandemic, Voxel-based morphometry (VBM), brain, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).