Thread by @michelle_monje

#LongCOVID frequently includes cognitive symptoms. Noting the clinical similarities between “chemo-fog” and “COVID-fog”, we asked whether there are also neurobiological similarities, in collaboration with Akiko Iwasaki’s @VirusesImmunity lab @YaleMed. 🧵 biorxiv.org/content/10.110…

How might even mild respiratory #COVID-19 infection affect the brain? Using a mouse model of mild SARS-CoV-2 infection limited to the respiratory system, we found elevation of CNS cytokines/chemokines and white matter-specific microglial reactivity.

One of these #chemokines - known to be associated with cognitive impairment – is also elevated in people suffering from #LongCOVID with cognitive symptoms compared to those with LongCOVID and no cognitive symptoms. Collaboration with @PutrinoLab @MountSinaiNYC

We found the same pattern of white matter-selective microglial reactivity in the brains of people with #COVID-19 that we found after chemotherapy (tinyurl.com/Cell-2019), in collaboration with @nathavindra, #MyounghwaLee #RebeccaFolkerth #DanPerl #MarcoHefti

Like the effects of microglial reactivity after cancer therapy (tinyurl.com/Cell-2019, tinyurl.com/Science-2003 ), we found impairment in hippocampal neurogenesis and loss of myelinating oligodendrocytes after mild respiratory #SARS-CoV-2 infection in mice.

There are stark parallels between the cellular dysregulation that can happen after chemotherapy and even mild #COVID-19. Understanding the neurobiological underpinnings of #LongCOVID will lay the groundwork for therapeutic strategies to address this neurological health crisis.

(A note that I submitted this paper on COVID while with a case of breakthrough COVID myself. Recovering now and grateful I was vaccinated and boosted.)

Highlighting the great team contributing to this work: @ericsongg @ThisIsAnthonyFC @AnnaGeraghty2 @Kathryn_RTaylor @BelginYalcin_ #PeiwenLu @LehiAcosta @LauraTabacof @JeffGehlhausen @carolilucas @GeneticHeartDoc #JamieWood and many others