Studying of changes in metabolites in the brain in patients with COVID-19 according to multivoxel 1H-MRS: prospective study

INTRODUCTION: Members of the coronavirus family can affect the human central nervous system, causing various neurological complications in patients with SARS-CoV-2. Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) seems to be a promising technique for assessing the prognosis of persistent neurological manifestations and complications, determining the completeness of a patient’s recovery during long-term follow-up. O

BJECTIVE: To study changes in the metabolites profile in the brain with relation to cognitive impairment in patients with COVID-19.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: 68 patients with verified COVID-19 and neurological complaints underwent a diagnostic workup, including a psychoneurological assessment and MRI of the brain with multivoxel proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS), starting in the first 2 weeks from the onset of the disease. In 11 patients, a complex examination was repeated 7–8 months after the onset of the disease. The exclusion criteria were acute severe neurological symptoms, age over 65 years, artificial lung ventilation, lung CT score III–IV, as well as information about pre-Covid neuropsychiatric disorders. As a control group, earlier collected data of 10 healthy volunteers (age 30–67 years) were taken from a local database. Statistics: Intergroup differences in the ratios of metabolites peak areas determined by the 1H-MPC method were assessed using the nonparametric Mann-Whitney test with Bonferroni’s correction for multiple comparisons. Values were considered statistically significant at p<0.05. RESULTS: According to 1H-MRS, all patients with COVID-19 showed metabolic changes in the brain: a statistically significant increase in mI/Cr in the white and gray matter and a diffuse decrease in the levels of Cho/Cr in the supraventricular white matter, even in the absence of any changes in structural MRI. DISCUSSOIN: Patients were divided into three subgroups according to the severity of neurological symptoms that arose with the onset of the coronavirus infection. The most pronounced metabolic changes were found in the group with severe neurological manifestations (NM). At follow-up, a gradual recovery of the metabolite profile was noted, but in our sample group complete normalization was not achieved within the specified time frame. CONCLUSION: The obtained data indicate metabolic changes associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection, as well as the prospects for using the 1H-MPC technique in the diagnosis of neurological complications of the new coronavirus infection, including manifestations of a psychoneurological syndrome associated with COVID-19.><0.05.

RESULTS: According to 1H-MRS, all patients with COVID-19 showed metabolic changes in the brain: a statistically significant increase in mI/Cr in the white and gray matter and a diffuse decrease in the levels of Cho/Cr in the supraventricular white matter, even in the absence of any changes in structural MRI.

DISCUSSOIN: Patients were divided into three subgroups according to the severity of neurological symptoms that arose with the onset of the coronavirus infection. The most pronounced metabolic changes were found in the group with severe neurological manifestations (NM). At follow-up, a gradual recovery of the metabolite profile was noted, but in our sample group complete normalization was not achieved within the specified time frame.

CONCLUSION: The obtained data indicate metabolic changes associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection, as well as the prospects for using the 1H-MPC technique in the diagnosis of neurological complications of the new coronavirus infection, including manifestations of a psychoneurological syndrome associated with COVID-19.

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