Persistent post‐COVID headache is associated with suppression of scale‐free functional brain dynamics in non‐hospitalized individuals
Abstract Introduction Post‐acute coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) syndrome (PACS) is a growing concern, with headache being a particularly debilitating symptom with high prevalence. The long‐term effects of COVID‐19 and post‐COVID headache on brain function remain poorly understood, particularly...
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Published in | Brain and behavior Vol. 13; no. 11; p. e3212 |
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Main Authors | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
Format | Journal Article |
Language | English |
Published |
Los Angeles
John Wiley & Sons, Inc
01.11.2023
John Wiley and Sons Inc Wiley |
Subjects | |
Online Access | Get full text |
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Summary: | Abstract
Introduction
Post‐acute coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) syndrome (PACS) is a growing concern, with headache being a particularly debilitating symptom with high prevalence. The long‐term effects of COVID‐19 and post‐COVID headache on brain function remain poorly understood, particularly among non‐hospitalized individuals. This study focused on the power‐law scaling behavior of functional brain dynamics, indexed by the Hurst exponent (
H
). This measure is suppressed during physiological and psychological distress and was thus hypothesized to be reduced in individuals with post‐COVID syndrome, with greatest reductions among those with persistent headache.
Methods
Resting‐state blood oxygenation level‐dependent (BOLD) functional magnetic resonance imaging data were collected for 57 individuals who had COVID‐19 (32 with no headache, 14 with ongoing headache, 11 recovered) and 17 controls who had cold and flu‐like symptoms but tested negative for COVID‐19. Individuals were assessed an average of 4–5 months after COVID testing, in a cross‐sectional, observational study design.
Results
No significant differences in
H
values were found between non‐headache COVID‐19 and control groups., while those with ongoing headache had significantly reduced
H
values, and those who had recovered from headache had elevated
H
values, relative to non‐headache groups. Effects were greatest in temporal, sensorimotor, and insular brain regions. Reduced
H
in these regions was also associated with decreased BOLD activity and local functional connectivity.
Conclusions
These findings provide new insights into the neurophysiological mechanisms that underlie persistent post‐COVID headache, with reduced BOLD scaling as a potential biomarker that is specific to this debilitating condition. |
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Bibliography: | ObjectType-Article-1 SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1 ObjectType-Feature-2 content type line 23 ObjectType-Undefined-3 |
ISSN: | 2162-3279 2162-3279 |
DOI: | 10.1002/brb3.3212 |