Neural alterations in viral pneumonia patients comorbid with insomnia in a Chinese population: Insight from...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Radiology
• Infectious Diseases

Background:

• Viral pneumonia, including Omicron, can affect the central nervous system (CNS), potentially causing neuropsychiatric issues.
• The specific impact of viral pneumonia with insomnia on brain structure, particularly cortical morphology, is not well understood.
• This study investigates neural markers like grey matter volume, thickness, and surface area in Omicron patients with and without insomnia.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify neural markers of cortical morphology in patients recovering from Omicron infection.
• To compare cortical changes in patients with and without comorbid insomnia.
• To correlate morphological metrics with neuropsychiatric assessment scores.

Main Methods:

• A prospective cross-sectional study analyzed 172 participants (57 healthy controls, 64 Omicron without insomnia, 51 Omicron with insomnia).
• Insomnia symptoms were assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI > 5).
• Surface-based morphometry (SBM) analyzed T1-weighted MRI scans to evaluate cortical grey matter volume, thickness, and surface area.

Main Results:

• Patients with viral pneumonia showed altered cortical morphology compared to healthy controls, affecting temporal, frontal, and cingulate gyri.
• Decreased cortical thickness in the left superior temporal gyrus (STG) was specifically linked to Omicron infection with insomnia.
• Increased cortical size in affected regions correlated with better neuropsychiatric performance.

Conclusions:

• Omicron infection leads to distinct patterns of cortical atrophy.
• Thinning of the left superior temporal gyrus (STG) may serve as a biomarker for CNS involvement in post-viral insomnia.
• These findings offer insights into post-viral neuropsychiatric sequelae and aid in clinical management.