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Orbito-Frontal Cortex Hypometabolism in Children With Post-COVID Condition (Long COVID): A Preliminary Experience

Fabrizio Cocciolillo1, Daniela Di Giuda1,2, Rosa Morello3

  • 1From the Dipartimento di Diagnostica per Immagini, Radioterapia Oncologica ed Ematologia, UOC di Medicina Nucleare, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy.

The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal
|July 15, 2022
PubMed

Insights

Three children experienced new neurocognitive issues post-coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Brain imaging revealed reduced metabolism in the left orbito-frontal region, potentially explaining these neurological symptoms.

Area of Science:

  • Neurology
  • Pediatrics
  • Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) can lead to various neurological complications.
  • Neurocognitive deficits have been anecdotally reported in children following COVID-19 infection.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the neurobiological underpinnings of new-onset neurocognitive problems in children after COVID-19.
  • To identify specific brain regions affected by COVID-19 related neurocognitive dysfunction.

Main Methods:

  • Case series describing 3 children with new neurocognitive problems post-COVID-19.
  • Brain [18F]-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (FDG-PET/CT) imaging was performed.
  • Voxel-wise analysis was employed to identify hypometabolic regions.

Main Results:

  • All 3 children presented with new-onset neurocognitive deficits following COVID-19.
  • Brain FDG-PET/CT showed hypometabolism in the left orbito-frontal region in all cases.
  • Voxel-wise analysis confirmed a significant cluster of hypometabolic voxels in this specific brain area.

Conclusions:

  • Reduced metabolic activity in the left orbito-frontal cortex may underlie neurocognitive symptoms observed in children after COVID-19.
  • These findings highlight a potential neurological consequence of COVID-19 in pediatric patients.
  • Further research is warranted to elucidate the mechanisms and long-term implications of these neuroimaging findings.

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