South Middlesex Times

Rutgers Health researchers have discovered that long COVID, while associated with active inflammatory changes in the nervous system, is distinct from Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative disorders. This revelation was made during one of the most comprehensive studies into "brain fog," a common symptom of long COVID where patients experience difficulty thinking or concentrating.

The study, published in Cell Reports Medicine, involved an examination of individuals who had recovered from COVID-19 in the New York City-New Jersey area. The goal was to gain a deeper understanding of the factors influencing long COVID. The condition covers a broad spectrum of health issues that people encounter after contracting COVID-19, including brain fog, fatigue, shortness of breath, headaches, and sleep problems. These symptoms are often challenging to explain and manage due to limited knowledge about the condition.

A participant in the Rutgers Health study who has been grappling with long COVID symptoms for over three years said: “Participating in this research study helped validate everything I was feeling, including the brain fog. It’s so important for people to consider clinical trials so we can get accurate information about long COVID, and people can go on to do whatever is necessary to help them improve.”

Previously, scientists suggested that long COVID might exhibit molecular features similar to Alzheimer's disease. However, Rutgers Health researchers found no evidence of such changes in their latest study. Instead, they discovered that cerebrospinal fluid immune cells in persistent brain fog from long COVID bear a closer resemblance to viral infections than to Alzheimer's disease or post-infectious processes.

William Hu, director of the Center for Healthy Aging Research at Rutgers Institute for Health, Health Care Policy and Aging Research and senior author of the study said: “The findings from our study lead us to believe that interferon – the body’s natural antiviral – and other drugs which target COVID-19 will be most beneficial in people with long COVID.”

Researchers also found that recovery from long COVID symptoms is often slow, with 50 percent of patients experiencing cognitive improvement after two years. Hu, who is also an associate professor and the chief of Cognitive Neurology and Alzheimer’s Disease Clinic at Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School (RWJMS), added: “Because brain fog – nine months after initial COVID-19 – shares gene signatures with acute infections, future clinical trials should focus on interferon- and antiviral-based therapies instead of rehabilitation or brain training to expedite the recovery time for patients experiencing brain fog and other long COVID symptoms.”

The study was co-authored by a team from the RWJMS Department of Neurology, the NJMS Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, and the RWJMS Department of Medicine-Pulmonary and Critical Care. The research received support from TMCity Foundation, a philanthropy focused on brain and mental health; Rutgers Health, and the National Institutes of Health.