Long COVID: cognitive complaints (brain fog) and dysfunction of the cingulate cortex

Jacques Hugon; Eva-Flore Msika; Mathieu Queneau; Karim Farid; Claire Paquet

doi:10.1007/s00415-021-10655-x

Long COVID: cognitive complaints (brain fog) and dysfunction of the cingulate cortex

J Neurol. 2022 Jan;269(1):44-46. doi: 10.1007/s00415-021-10655-x. Epub 2021 Jun 18.

Authors

Jacques Hugon^{1

2}, Eva-Flore Msika³, Mathieu Queneau⁴, Karim Farid⁵, Claire Paquet⁶

Affiliations

¹ Center of Cognitive Neurology, APHP, Inserm 1144, University of Paris Lariboisiere Hospital, Paris, France. jacques.hugon@inserm.fr.
² Memory Clinic, 16 rue de Téhéran, 75008, Paris, France. jacques.hugon@inserm.fr.
³ Memory Clinic, 16 rue de Téhéran, 75008, Paris, France.
⁴ Department of Molecular Imaging, North Cardiologic Center, Saint-Denis, France.
⁵ Department of Molecular Medicine, CHU Fort de France, Martinique, France.
⁶ Center of Cognitive Neurology, APHP, Inserm 1144, University of Paris Lariboisiere Hospital, Paris, France.

Abstract

Many patients who have suffered from acute COVID infections have long-lasting symptoms affecting several organs including the brain. This long COVID status can include "brain fog" and cognitive deficits that can disturb activities of daily living and can delay complete recovery. Here, we report two cases of neurological long COVID with abnormal FDG PET findings marked by hypometabolic regions of the cingulate cortex.

Keywords: Cingulate cortex; Cognitive involvement; Long COVID.

MeSH terms

Activities of Daily Living
Brain / diagnostic imaging
COVID-19* / complications
Cognition
Cognitive Dysfunction*
Fluorodeoxyglucose F18
Gyrus Cinguli / diagnostic imaging
Humans
Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome
SARS-CoV-2

Substances

Fluorodeoxyglucose F18