Nisha Pandey

Long COVID May Be Damaging The Brain's Dopamine System, Major Study Finds

A new study has found out what researchers call the strongest evidence yet that <span>long COVID</span> may directly injure the brain's dopamine system, offering an explanation for symptoms like fatigue, brain fog, poor memory, slowed movement, and lack of motivation that persist long after the initial infection. 

<h2>Long <span rel="noindex">COVID</span>’s Effect On Dopamine System </h2>

While it has been a long time since the end of the COVID pandemic, its effects continue to linger even today. Several patients who contracted COVID continue to suffer. This is known as long COVID. 

Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that plays a key role in movement, motivation, learning, reward, and memory. 

The study, conducted by researchers at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) in Toronto and published in the journal eBioMedicine, used advanced positron emission tomography (PET) scans to examine the brains of people living with <a href="https://www.healthandme.com/health-wellness/study-decodes-why-covid-survivors-continue-to-suffer-vision-problems-article-155056007" data-type="tilCustomLink">long COVID</a>. 

They found significantly lower levels of a marker that reflects the health of dopamine-producing systems across key regions of the brain compared with healthy participants. 

The researchers discovered that reductions in dopamine markers were closely tied to patients' symptoms. Lower dopamine activity in one region of the brain, known as the ventral striatum, was associated with a greater loss of motivation. 

Reduced dopamine markers in the dorsal putamen were linked to slower movement, while declines in the caudate putamen correlated with memory problems. 

"Our findings provide compelling evidence that long COVID involves the loss of <a href="https://www.healthandme.com/health-news/long-covid-rehab-program-may-help-improve-brain-fog-study-finds-article-154870121" data-type="tilCustomLink">dopamine</a>-releasing neurons," said senior author Dr. <span>Jeffrey Meyer</span>. "We know that inflammation can injure dopamine neurons. While our earlier research showed high levels of inflammation in those regions, this study provides direct evidence that the dopamine neuron marker is reduced in the same regions, and that this loss correlates with patients' symptoms."

Also read: <a href="https://www.healthandme.com/health-news/who-was-martha-lillard-last-u-s-polio-survivor-to-depend-on-an-iron-lung-who-breathed-her-last-at-78-article-155080356" data-type="tilCustomLink">Who Was Martha Lillard? Last U.S. Polio Survivor To Depend On An Iron Lung Who Breathed Her Last At 78</a> 

<h2>Turning Point In Long COVID Research </h2>

Long COVID affects an estimated five percent of the global population and continues to leave millions struggling with persistent symptoms for months or even years after recovering from the initial infection. 

Despite its widespread impact, there are currently no evidence-based treatments specifically approved for the condition because its underlying biological mechanisms remain poorly understood. 

According to Dr. Meyer, the findings could mark a turning point in long COVID research. "These results indicate that long COVID is, at least in part, a disorder of the brain's dopamine system," he said. "This suggests that repurposing medications that augment the function of dopamine-releasing neurons, including dopamine precursors and inhibitors of dopamine metabolism, could be a promising approach."

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The research also provides validation for many patients who have struggled to have their symptoms recognized. 

"For five years I have been seeking answers on what happened to me after I contracted COVID in 2021," said Susan Deuville, a lived-experience research advisor involved in the project. "It was a crushing loss of the life I had and the person I was before. The research of Dr. Meyer brings hope. It also validates what long COVID sufferers have always known, long COVID is real and the effects are devastating." 

The team plans to launch a clinical trial in the coming months to test whether existing medications that enhance dopamine function can improve memory, fatigue, and motivation in people with long COVID.

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A new study has found out what researchers call the strongest evidence yet that long COVID may directly injure the brain's dopamine system, offering an explanation for symptoms like fatigue, brain fog, poor memory, slowed movement, and lack of motivation that persist long after the initial infection. Long COVID’s Effect On Dopamine System While it has been a long time since the end of the COVID pandemic, its effects continue to linger even today. Several patients who contracted COVID continue to suffer. This is known as long COVID. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter that plays a key role in movement, motivation, learning, reward, and memory. The study, conducted by researchers at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) in Toronto and published in the journal eBioMedicine, used advanced positron emission tomography (PET) scans to examine the brains of people living with long COVID. They found significantly lower levels of a marker that reflects the health of dopamine-producing systems across key regions of the brain compared with healthy participants. The researchers discovered that reductions in dopamine markers were closely tied to patients' symptoms. Lower dopamine activity in one region of the brain, known as the ventral striatum, was associated with a greater loss of motivation. Reduced dopamine markers in the dorsal putamen were linked to slower movement, while declines in the caudate putamen correlated with memory problems. "Our findings provide compelling evidence that long COVID involves the loss of dopamine-releasing neurons," said senior author Dr. Jeffrey Meyer. "We know that inflammation can injure dopamine neurons. While our earlier research showed high levels of inflammation in those regions, this study provides direct evidence that the dopamine neuron marker is reduced in the same regions, and that this loss correlates with patients' symptoms."Also read: Who Was Martha Lillard? Last U.S. Polio Survivor To Depend On An Iron Lung Who Breathed Her Last At 78 Turning Point In Long COVID Research Long COVID affects an estimated five percent of the global population and continues to leave millions struggling with persistent symptoms for months or even years after recovering from the initial infection. Despite its widespread impact, there are currently no evidence-based treatments specifically approved for the condition because its underlying biological mechanisms remain poorly understood. According to Dr. Meyer, the findings could mark a turning point in long COVID research. "These results indicate that long COVID is, at least in part, a disorder of the brain's dopamine system," he said. "This suggests that repurposing medications that augment the function of dopamine-releasing neurons, including dopamine precursors and inhibitors of dopamine metabolism, could be a promising approach."                The research also provides validation for many patients who have struggled to have their symptoms recognized. "For five years I have been seeking answers on what happened to me after I contracted COVID in 2021," said Susan Deuville, a lived-experience research advisor involved in the project. "It was a crushing loss of the life I had and the person I was before. The research of Dr. Meyer brings hope. It also validates what long COVID sufferers have always known, long COVID is real and the effects are devastating." The team plans to launch a clinical trial in the coming months to test whether existing medications that enhance dopamine function can improve memory, fatigue, and motivation in people with long COVID.