Imaging neurovascular physiology in persistent fatigue after COVID-19

项目摘要 在COVID-19的初始阶段之后，相当一部分患者留下了长期的 他们在几个月后继续报告的认知症状，有时被称为“长途”患者。 这些长期的认知障碍甚至可以发生在只有中度初始疾病的患者中。最 常见的症状是持续疲劳，严重损害日常功能和生活质量。 虽然一部分患者的疲劳是由持续的心血管或肺损伤解释的，但许多患有心血管疾病的患者， 没有系统性问题导致严重疲劳，这表明是神经源性疾病。然而， COVID后的疲劳尚未可知。迄今为止，已有数百万COVID-19病例， 人们预计会遭受持续的疲劳，并确定潜在的神经生理因素 COVID后疲劳对于了解这种情况并确定潜在的 治疗路线。考虑到这些症状的患病率和对这些长期患者日常功能的主要影响， 我们的目标是研究COVID后疲劳的神经基础。我们将使用高空间分辨率 7 T fMRI测试COVID-19后持续疲劳的患者是否表现出神经血管功能 破坏我们将检查是否发生空间弥漫性神经血管损伤，或局灶性破坏 是皮层下唤醒调节回路特有的该项目将提供一个独特的，高分辨率， 综合评估持续疲劳患者的神经血管生理学， 新冠肺炎。

Project Abstract After the initial stages of COVID-19, a substantial proportion of patients are left with long-lasting cognitive symptoms that they continue to report months later, sometimes referred to as ‘long-haul’ patients. These long-lasting cognitive disruptions can occur even in patients with only moderate initial illness. The most commonly reported symptom is persistent fatigue, which significantly impairs daily function and quality of life. While fatigue in a subset of patients is explained by lasting cardiovascular or lung damage, many patients with no systemic issues present severe fatigue, suggesting an illness of neural origin. However, the neural basis of post-COVID fatigue is not yet known. With millions of COVID-19 cases to date, hundreds of thousands of people are expected to suffer from persistent fatigue, and identifying the neurophysiological factors underlying post-COVID fatigue is critical in order to develop an understanding of this condition and identify potential treatment routes. Given the prevalence and major impact of these symptoms on daily function in these long- haul patients, we aim to investigate the neural basis of post-COVID fatigue. We will use high spatial resolution 7T fMRI to test whether patients with persistent fatigue after COVID-19 exhibit neurovascular functional disruption. We will examine both whether spatially diffuse neurovascular impairment occurs, or focal disruption specific to subcortical arousal regulatory circuits. This project will provide a unique, high-resolution, and comprehensive assessment of neurovascular physiology in patients experiencing persistent fatigue after COVID-19.