AUTHOR=Thapaliya Kiran , Marshall-Gradisnik Sonya , Barth Markus , Eaton-Fitch Natalie , Barnden Leighton 

TITLE=Brainstem volume changes in myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome and long COVID patients

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Neuroscience

VOLUME=Volume 17 - 2023

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnins.2023.1125208

DOI=10.3389/fnins.2023.1125208

ISSN=1662-453X

ABSTRACT=Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) and long COVID patients have overlapping neurological, autonomic, pain, and post-exertional symptoms. We compared volumes of brainstem regions for 10 ME/CFS (CCC or ICC criteria), 8 long COVID (WHO Delphi consensus), and 10 healthy control (HC) subjects on 3D, T1-weighted MRI images acquired using sub-millimetre isotropic resolution using an ultra-high field strength of 7 Tesla. Group comparisons with HC detected significantly larger volumes in ME/CFS for pons (p=0.004) and whole brainstem (p= 0.01), and in long COVID for pons (p= 0.003), superior cerebellar peduncle (p=0.009), and whole brainstem (p=0.005). No significant differences were found between ME/CFS and long COVID volumes. In ME/CFS, we detected positive correlations between the pons and whole brainstem volumes with ‘pain’ and negative correlations between the midbrain and whole brainstem volumes with ‘breathing difficulty’. In long COVID patients a strong negative relationship was detected between midbrain volume and ‘breathing difficulties’. Our study demonstrated an abnormal brainstem volume in both ME/CFS and long COVID consistent with the overlapping symptoms.