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Babiloni C, Gentilini Cacciola E, Tucci F, Vassalini P, Chilovi A, Jakhar D, Musat AM, Salvatore M, Soricelli A, Stocchi F, Vacca L, Ferri R, Catania V, Mastroianni C, D'Ettorre G, Noce G. Resting-state EEG rhythms are abnormal in post COVID-19 patients with brain fog without cognitive and affective disorders. Clin Neurophysiol 2024; 161:159-172. [PMID: 38492271 DOI: 10.1016/j.clinph.2024.02.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2023] [Revised: 02/13/2024] [Accepted: 02/29/2024] [Indexed: 03/18/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Several persons experiencing post-covid-19 (post-COVID) with "brain fog" (e.g., fatigue, cognitive and psychiatric disorders, etc.) show abnormal resting-state electroencephalographic (rsEEG) rhythms reflecting a vigilance dysfunction. Here, we tested the hypothesis that in those post-COVID persons, abnormal rsEEG rhythms may occur even when cognitive and psychiatric disorders are absent. METHODS The experiments were performed on post-COVID participants about one year after hospitalization for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. Inclusion criteria included a "brain fog" claim, no pre-infection, and actual organic chronic disease. Matched controls (no COVID) were also enrolled. All participants underwent clinical/neuropsychological assessment (including fatigue assessment) and rsEEG recordings. The eLORETA freeware estimated regional rsEEG cortical sources at individual delta (<4 Hz), theta (4-7 Hz), and alpha (8-13 Hz) bands. Beta (14-30 Hz) and gamma (30-40 Hz) bands were pre-fixed. RESULTS More than 90% of all post-COVID participants showed no cognitive or psychiatric disorders, and 75% showed ≥ 2 fatigue symptoms. The post-COVID group globally presented lower posterior rsEEG alpha source activities than the Control group. This effect was more significant in the long COVID-19 patients with ≥ 2 fatigue symptoms. CONCLUSIONS In post-COVID patients with no chronic diseases and cognitive/psychiatric disorders, "brain fog" can be associated with abnormal posterior rsEEG alpha rhythms and subjective fatigue. SIGNIFICANCE These abnormalities may be related to vigilance and allostatic dysfunctions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudio Babiloni
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology "Erspamer," Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy; Hospital San Raffaele Cassino, Cassino, FR, Italy.
| | - Elio Gentilini Cacciola
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Umberto I Hospital, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Federico Tucci
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology "Erspamer," Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Paolo Vassalini
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Umberto I Hospital, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Agnese Chilovi
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Umberto I Hospital, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Dharmendra Jakhar
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology "Erspamer," Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Andreea Maria Musat
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology "Erspamer," Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Andrea Soricelli
- IRCCS Synlab SDN, Naples, Italy; Department of Medical, Movement and Wellbeing Sciences, University of Naples Parthenope, Naples, Italy
| | - Fabrizio Stocchi
- IRCCS San Raffaele Rome, Rome, Italy; Telematic University San Raffaele, Rome, Italy
| | | | | | | | - Claudio Mastroianni
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Umberto I Hospital, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Gabriella D'Ettorre
- Department of Public Health and Infectious Diseases, Umberto I Hospital, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
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