Fig. 2: Brain injury biomarkers and neurostructural MRI metrics in the exploration cohort. | Nature Communications

Fig. 2: Brain injury biomarkers and neurostructural MRI metrics in the exploration cohort.

From: Distinct brain alterations and neurodegenerative processes in cognitive impairment associated with post-acute sequelae of COVID-19

Fig. 2

a–d Levels of Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein (GFAP), Neurofilament Light Chain (NfL), Amyloid-beta 42/40 ratio (Aβ42/40 ratio), and phosphorylated tau 181 (p-Tau181) were compared among the subgroups within the exploration cohort: NS-PASC (n = 77), Other-PASC (n = 55), and Cog-PASC (n = 28). e Mean cortical thickness was measured from 3D T1-weighted MRI using the FreeSurfer cortical parcellation tool (v.7.3). Iron deposition was assessed by susceptibility source separation of multiecho gradient echo images into paramagnetic susceptibility maps. f Surface-based morphometry maps indicate regions with reduced cortical thickness in Cog-PASC patients. Red highlights show the cingulate (left) and insular cortex (right) across lateral, medial, and coronal views (top to bottom). g Box plot illustrating group-wise differences in cortical thickness (mm) across regions (NS-PASC (n = 77), Other-PASC (n = 55), and Cog-PASC (n = 28). h Standardized beta coefficients from multiple linear regression models assessing associations between MoCA scores and cortical thickness in the cingulate, parahippocampal, and insular cortex. i Group-wise comparison of paramagnetic susceptibility values (ppm) in the cingulate cortex. j Heat map of correlations (r) between cortical thickness and regional iron deposition. k Box plots of paramagnetic susceptibility (ppm) across cortical regions (NS-PASC (n = 39), Other-PASC (n = 29), and Cog-PASC (n = 12). l Standardized beta coefficients from regression models examining associations between MoCA scores and cortical iron deposition in the cingulate, occipital cortex, and hippocampus. m Choroid plexus segmentation from 3D T1-weighted MRI (left) and DTI-based ALPS index calculation (right). n Group-wise comparison of choroid plexus volume (CPV) fraction and DTI-ALPS index (NS-PASC (n = 39), Other-PASC (n = 29), and Cog-PASC (n = 12). o Standardized beta coefficients for associations of these metrics with MoCA scores. adjusted for age, sex, and education. Significance levels are indicated by asterisks: For all box plots, the center line indicates the median, box boundaries the interquartile range (IQR; 25th–75th percentiles), and whiskers extend to the most extreme data points within 1.5 × IQR. Data points beyond whiskers are shown as outliers. Group comparisons were performed using Two-sided ANCOVA, adjusting for age, sex, and education. Regression models were adjusted for the same covariates. All p-values were corrected for multiple comparisons using the false discovery rate (FDR); significance levels are indicated as *adjusted p < 0.05, **adjusted p < 0.01, and ***adjusted p < 0.001. Exact p-values are provided in the Source Data file.

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