AUTHOR=Graf Carina , Raman Betty , Manktelow Anne , Chatfield Doris A. , Clarke William T. , Rua Catarina , Newcombe Virginia F. J. , Lupson Victoria C. , Sawcer Stephen J. , Outtrim Joanne G. , Ersche Karen D. , Qiu Lin , Ezra Martyn , McDonald Rory , Clare Stuart , Cassar Mark Philip , Neubauer Stefan , Bullmore Edward T. , Menon David K. , Rowe James B. , Pattinson Kyle , Rodgers Christopher T. ,  the Cambridge NeuroCOVID group ,  the CITIID-NIHR COVID-19 BioResource Collaboration , Allinson Kieren , Anwar Fahim , Bhatti Junaid , Bullmore Edward T , Chatfield Doris A , Christmas David , Coles Alasdair J , Coles Jonathan P , Correia Marta , Das Tilak , Elmer Anne , Fletcher Paul C , Jubb Alasdair W , Lupson Victoria C , Manktelow Anne , Menon David K , Michell Andrew , Needham Edward , Newcombe Virginia FJ , Outtrim Joanne G , Pointon Linda , Rodgers Christopher T , Rowe James B , Rua Catarina , Sawcer Stephen J , Sithole Nyarie , Spindler Lennart RB , Stamatakis Emmanuel A , Taylor Jonathon , Valerio Fernanda , Widmer Barry , Williams Guy B , Allison John , Alvio Gisele , Baker Stephen , Baker Sharon , Bergamashi Laura , Beristain-Covarrubias Nonantzin , Bermperi Areti , Betancourt Ariana , Biggs Heather , Booth Lucy , Boston Rebecca , Bower Georgie , Bradley John , Brookes Karen , Bucke Ashlea , Bullman Ben , Butcher Helen , Caddy Sarah L. , Calder Jo , Caller Laura G. , Canna Laura , Caputo Daniela , Chandler Matt , Chaudhry Yasmin , Chinnery Patrick , Clapham-Riley Debbie , Cooper Daniel , Cossetti Chiara , Crucusio Cherry , Cruz Isabel , Curran Martin D. , Jesus Ranalie de , Sa Aloka De , Dempsey Katie , Dewhurst Eleanor , Stephano Giovanni Di , Domingo Jason , Dougan Gordon , Dunmore Benjamin J. , Elmer Anne , Epping Maddie , Fawke Stuart , Feltwell Theresa , Fernandez Christian , Ferreira Alexander , Fuller Stewart , Furlong Anita , Georgana Iliana , Goodfellow Ian , Gräf Stefan , Graves Barbara , Gray Jennifer , Grenfell Richard , Gupta Ravindra , Gurugama Thevinya , Gurugama Lihinya , Hall Grant , Hamilton William L. , Harris Julie , Hein Sabine , Hewitt Sarah , Hinch Andrew , Hodgson Josh , Horner Emily C. , Hosmillo Myra , Hosseini Zhaleh , Houldcroft Charlotte J. , Huang Christopher , Hughes Robert , Huhn Oisin , Hunter Kelvin , Ivers Tasmin , Izuagbe Rhys , Jahun Aminu S. , Jarvis Isobel , Jones Heather , Jones Emma , Jose Sherly , Josipović Maša , Kasanicki Mary , Kennet Jane , Khokhar Fahad A. , King Yvonne , King Rebecca , Kingston Nathalie , Kourampa Jenny , Kovalenko Anna G. , Gresley Emma Le , Legchenko Ekaterina , Lehner Paul J. , Lewis Daniel , Li Emily , Linger Rachel , Lyons Paul A. , Marsden Joe , Martin Jennifer , Matheson Nicholas J. , McMahon Caroline , Meadows Anne , Meloy Sarah , Mendoza Vivien , Meredith Luke W. , Mescia Federica , Moulton Alexei , Muldoon Francesca , Mulroney Thomas , O’Brien Criona , O’Donnell Ciara  , Ocaya Charmain , Omarjee Ommar , Ovington Nigel , Papadia Sofia , Paraschiv Roxana , Parmar Surendra , Pasquale Ciro , Penkett Christopher J. , Perales Marlyn , Perera Marianne , Phelan Isabel , Pinckert Malte L. , Pointon Linda , Polgarova Petra , Pond Nicole , Price Jane , Ranganath Venkatesh , Rastall Rebecca , Ribeiro Carla , Richoz Nathan , Romashova Nika , Rowlands Jane , Ruffolo Valentina , Rust Maria , Sage Abigail , Sambrook Jennifer , Saunders Caroline , Savoinykh Natalia , Scholtes Ingrid , Schon Katherine , Selvan Mayurun , Sharma Rahul , Shih Joy , Smith Kenneth G. , Spencer Sarah , Stark Hannah , Stirrups Kathleen E. , Strezlecki Mateusz , Summers Charlotte , Sutcliffe Rachel , Thaventhiran James , Tilly Tobias , Tong Zhen , Tordesillas Hugo , Torok M. Estee , Toshner Mark R. , Townsend Paul , Treacy Carmen , Turner Lori , Vargas Phoebe , Vergese Bensi , Walker Neil , Watson Laura , Webster Jennifer , Weekes Michael P. , Williamson Kate , Wood Jennifer , Worsley Jieniean , Wylot Marta , Yakovleva Anna , Yam-Puc Juan Carlos , Zerrudo Julie-Ann 

TITLE=Brainstem neurochemical profiles after hospitalisation for COVID-19: a 7T MR spectroscopy study

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Neuroscience

VOLUME=Volume 19 - 2025

YEAR=2025

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnins.2025.1617709

DOI=10.3389/fnins.2025.1617709

ISSN=1662-453X

ABSTRACT=BackgroundSomatic, cognitive and mental health issues have been identified in three-quarters of people 5 months after hospitalisation for severe acute SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) infection. The underlying neuroanatomical basis of these symptoms remains unclear, but recent studies suggest a role for altered brainstem physiology. We aimed to test the hypothesis that brainstem neurochemical profiles differ in patients who had been hospitalised for COVID-19 compared to matched controls using 7T magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS).MethodsThis prospective case–control study recruited 34 individuals who were hospitalised for COVID-19 and 15 healthy controls with no history of COVID-19 infection from two major UK hospitals before vaccines became available. The participants underwent 7T semi-adiabatic localization by adiabatic selective refocusing (sLASER) 1H-MRS at the ponto-medullary junction. Water-referenced metabolite concentrations were compared between the patients and controls and correlated with infection severity, as measured by maximum C-reactive protein (CRPmax) assay during inpatient admission. Linear mixed modelling was used with a 0.05 significance level.ResultsSpectral quality was high/acceptable in 44/49 participants according to the MRS Consensus criteria. The magnitude of inflammation during patient admission (i.e., CRPmax) correlated positively with myo-inositol concentration (β = 0.005, p = 0.035), as did patient-reported symptoms (β = −0.564, p = 0.023). However, metabolite concentrations were not significantly different between the patients and controls.ConclusionWe show the feasibility of assessing brainstem neurochemical profiles using 7T 1H-MRS in a multi-centre study. Technical limitations at one site’s 7T MRI led to variable repetition times, which limited our statistical power and should be avoided in future studies. Our findings highlight the need for further investigation into the role of neuroinflammation in post-acute COVID-19.