Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 8, 2025
Three-Dimensional Phase Resolved Functional Lung Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Published on: June 21, 2024
Brain magnetic resonance imaging findings six months after critical COVID-19: A prospective cohort study
Henriikka Ollila1, Janne Pihlajamaa2, Juha Martola2
1Department of Perioperative, Intensive Care and Pain Medicine, Helsinki University Hospital and University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
Background:
COVID-19 patients suffered from neurological symptoms in the acute phase. Whether this led to long-term consequences was unknown. We studied long-term brain MRI findings in ICU-treated COVID-19 patients and compared them with findings in groups with less severe acute disease.
Materials And Methods:
In this prospective cohort study, 69 ICU-treated, 46 ward-treated, and 46 home-isolated patients, as well as 53 non-COVID-19 controls, underwent brain MRI six months after acute COVID-19. Plasma neurofilament light chain (NfL), a biomarker of neuroaxonal injury, was measured simultaneously.
Results:
Ischaemic infarctions existed in 5.8% of ICU-treated patients. Cerebral microbleeds (CMBs) existed in 27 (39.1%) ICU-treated, 13 (28.3%) ward-treated, 8 (17.4%) home-isolated COVID-19 patients, and 12 (22.6%) non-COVID controls. Patients with CMBs were older (p < 0.001), had a higher level of plasma NfL (p = 0.003), and higher supplementary oxygen days (p < 0.001). In multivariable analysis, age (OR 1.06, 95% CI 1.02-1.09) and supplementary oxygen days (OR 1.07, 95% CI 1.02-1.13) were associated with CMBs. The ICU group showed prevalent distribution of CMBs in deep regions.
Conclusion:
Age and supplementary oxygen days were independently associated with CMBs; COVID-19 status showed no association. Accumulation of risk factors in the ICU group may explain the higher prevalence of CMBs.
Trial Registration:
ClinicalTrials.govNCT04864938, registered February 9, 2021.
