Changes in thalamic functional connectivity in post-Covid patients with and without fatigue

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Medical Imaging
• Post-Covid Conditions

Background:

• Functional brain alterations in post-Covid-19 condition remain under-explored.
• This study investigates resting-state thalamic functional connectivity in post-Covid patients with and without fatigue.
• Structural brain changes and cognitive function are also examined.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify differences in thalamic functional connectivity between fatigued and non-fatigued post-Covid patients.
• To explore the relationship between functional connectivity, fatigue severity, and cognitive performance.
• To elucidate potential neural mechanisms underlying post-Covid fatigue.

Main Methods:

• Thirty-nine post-Covid patients (15 fatigued, 24 non-fatigued) underwent cognitive assessments and neuroimaging.
• Seed-based functional connectivity analysis using the thalamus as a seed region.
• Correlation analyses between thalamic connectivity, fatigue scores, and cognitive test performance.

Main Results:

• Fatigued patients exhibited anti-correlated thalamic functional coupling with motor regions (M1, SMA, ACC).
• Non-fatigued patients showed positive functional coupling between the thalamus and these motor areas.
• Thalamic connectivity changes correlated with fatigue scores and Trail Making Test Part A performance (processing speed).

Conclusions:

• Significant differences in resting-state functional connectivity exist between fatigued and non-fatigued post-Covid patients, particularly in motor-associated regions.
• These findings suggest a potential neural basis for post-Covid fatigue.
• Understanding functional and structural brain changes is crucial for managing post-Covid-19 condition sequelae.