Functional Connectivity Alterations Associated with COVID-19-Related Sleep Problems: A Longitudinal Resting-State
Hao-Bo Chen1, Ling Li2, Yun-Kai Sun2
1Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Hunan Normal University (Hunan Provincial People's Hospital), Changsha, Hunan, People's Republic of China.
Nature and Science of Sleep
|January 22, 2025
Summary
COVID-19 survivors with sleep problems show altered brain connectivity. These functional connectivity changes evolve over two months, potentially explaining persistent sleep issues post-infection.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Medical Imaging
- Infectious Diseases
Background:
- COVID-19 is frequently associated with persistent fatigue and sleep disturbances.
- The underlying neurobiological mechanisms of post-COVID-19 sleep problems remain largely uncharacterized.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate alterations in brain functional connectivity (FC) associated with sleep problems in COVID-19 survivors.
- To explore the temporal dynamics of these FC changes over a two-month period.
Main Methods:
- Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) was employed in 55 COVID-19 survivors with sleep problems (COVID_SP) and 33 without (COVID_NSP).
- Participants completed the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and underwent rs-fMRI at baseline and 2-month follow-up.
- Correlations between FC and clinical data were analyzed using Pearson correlation with Gaussian random field correction, and R-M ANOVA explored time interactions.
Main Results:
- At baseline, COVID_SP exhibited elevated FC in regions including the precentral gyrus, inferior parietal lobule, and hippocampus.
- Higher FC between the left hippocampus and right superior frontal gyrus correlated with PSQI scores.
- By follow-up, FC changes implicated emotion regulation, executive function, and memory, while other regions showed increased FC related to attention and processing; these changes correlated with clinical scores and showed significant time interaction effects.
Conclusions:
- This study reveals significant alterations in brain functional connectivity associated with sleep problems following COVID-19.
- These neuroimaging findings offer insights into the pathophysiology of post-COVID-19 sleep disturbances.
- The observed temporal evolution of FC changes suggests a dynamic process that may contribute to the persistence of sleep problems.
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