Table 2 Parameters of magnetic resonance imaging: thickness and paramagnetic susceptibility in the exploration cohort

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

 

NS-PASC (n = 74)

Other-PASC (n = 54)

Cog-PASC (n = 28)

Adjusted P*

Thickness (mm)

 Whole cortex

2.4186 [2.3768–2.4734]

2.4280 [2.3886–2.4867]

2.4183 [2.3551–2.4780]

0.200

 Frontal cortex

2.5158 [2.4603–2.5797]

2.5317 [2.4840–2.5970]

2.5265 [2.4581–2.5703]

0.454

 Orbitofrontal gyrus

2.4944 [2.4428–2.5815]

2.5146 [2.4588–2.5932]

2.4977 [2.4635–2.5637]

0.683

 Cingulate cortex

2.4491 [2.3740–2.5311]

2.4974 [2.4419–2.5811]

2.4452 [2.3556–2.5169]

0.004b,c

 Anterior cingulate

2.5665 [2.4745–2.6470]

2.6159 [2.5648–2.7005]

2.5607 [2.4607–2.6476]

0.007b,c

 Posterior cingulate

2.4093 [2.3285–2.4995]

2.4585 [2.3740–2.5320]

2.3835 [2.3175–2.4843]

0.037c

 Temporal cortex

2.8883 [2.8277–2.9587]

2.9056 [2.8538–2.9689]

2.8736 [2.7982–2.9481]

0.224

 Parahippocampal gyrus

2.6700 [2.5570–2.8210]

2.7580 [2.6405–2.8835]

2.7145 [2.5433–2.8708]

0.035c

 Insular cortex

2.9857 [2.9215–3.0595]

2.9985 [2.9315–3.1155]

2.9455 [2.8622–3.0198]

0.030b

 Parietal cortex

2.2367 [2.1901–2.2889]

2.2641 [2.1952–2.3443]

2.2324 [2.1698–2.2973]

0.084

 Occipital cortex

1.7863 [1.7132–1.8326]

1.7869 [1.7564–1.8259]

1.7692 [1.7155–1.8289]

0.366

Volumes (cm3)

 Whole cortex

533.1599 [512.1108–567.7236]

534.6782 [497.7296–567.2397]

531.5716 [503.3577–548.9078]

0.279

 Whole white matter

489.5875 [458.5942–531.6284]

491.7434 [458.4874–529.9743]

482.6980 [448.8307–524.7246]

0.624

 Frontal cortex

149.0210 [141.7930–159.4625]

152.1765 [144.9190–164.4300]

153.6300 [144.0810–162.4940]

0.250

 Cingulate cortex

18.2660 [16.4765–19.3835]

18.1870 [17.2990–19.6660]

18.1490 [17.1820–19.6040]

0.338

 Temporal cortex

101.2430 [96.6020–106.3190]

102.2500 [97.3470–110.0700]

100.6985 [94.6240–106.9360]

0.275

 Parietal cortex

102.3330 [99.9095–108.0340]

102.9560 [96.4370–109.5980]

104.0060 [97.9640–110.2770]

0.991

 Occipital cortex

42.9460 [39.0020–46.0460]

44.0460 [41.5300–47.2940]

44.6075 [40.5480–48.0090]

0.135

 Insular cortex

13.0385 [12.2610–14.0990]

13.4525 [12.5290–14.4070]

13.2940 [12.5270–14.1900]

0.369

 Subcortical gray matter

55.4260 [53.0870–57.9445]

56.2520 [53.1260–59.8790]

56.0685 [54.1570–60.0430]

0.489

 Cerebellar cortex

98.3687 [91.4136–103.6945]

99.863 [94.3706–107.2581]

101.179 [93.3128–105.419]

0.205

Paramagnetic susceptibility (ppb)d

Cortical GM

    

 Whole cortex

0.0198 [0.0190–0.0204]

0.0192 [0.0187–0.0199]

0.0201 [0.0195–0.0205]

0.057

 Frontal cortex

0.0197 [0.0189–0.0203]

0.0190 [0.0185–0.0198]

0.0194 [0.0190–0.0201]

0.202

 Cingulate cortex

0.0168 [0.0160–0.0175]

0.0163 [0.0157–0.0167]

0.0178 [0.0164–0.0192]

0.005a,b

 Temporal cortex

0.0231 [0.0217–0.0242]

0.0231 [0.0216–0.0244]

0.0231 [0.0219–0.0241]

0.928

 Parietal cortex

0.0163 [0.0160–0.0168]

0.0158 [0.0155–0.0169]

0.0162 [0.0157–0.0175]

0.312

 Occipital cortex

0.0236 [0.0218–0.0248]

0.0219 [0.0214–0.0236]

0.0244 [0.0230–0.0270]

<0.001b,c

 Insular cortex

0.0155 [0.0148–0.0166]

0.0154 [0.0142–0.0166]

0.0166 [0.0154–0.0177]

0.096

Deep GM

 Thalamus

0.0168 [0.0148–0.0188]

0.0160 [0.0139–0.0174]

0.0170 [0.0157–0.0189]

0.258

 Caudate

0.0329 [0.0293–0.0393]

0.0290 [0.0260–0.0348]

0.0317 [0.0290–0.0383]

0.211

 Putamen

0.0455 [0.0391–0.0544]

0.0375 [0.0351–0.0481]

0.0482 [0.0402–0.0579]

0.175

 Pallidum

0.1042 [0.0962–0.1125]

0.0973 [0.0902–0.1121]

0.1031 [0.0983–0.1161]

0.397

 Hippocampus

0.0167 [0.0157–0.0178]

0.0164 [0.0153–0.0177]

0.0178 [0.0168–0.0193]

0.021a,b

 Amygdala

0.0129 [0.0121–0.0150]

0.0133 [0.0115–0.0147]

0.0135 [0.0127–0.0153]

0.360

Choroid plexus

 CP volume fraction

0.1357 [0.1211–0.1674]

0.1193 [0.1023–0.1558]

0.1430 [0.1277–0.1708]

<0.01b,c

DTI analysise

 DTI-ALPS index

1.5046 [1.3857–1.6072]

1.5024 [1.4152–1.6374]

1.4605 [1.3879–1.5604]

0.368

 Mean Diffusivity (×10−3 mm²/s)

0.7591 [0.7502–0.7689]

0.7607 [0.7503–0.7691]

0.7669 [0.7539–0.7827]

0.220

 Radial Diffusivity (×10−3 mm²/s)

0.5600 [0.5523–0.5748]

0.5634 [0.5492–0.5754]

0.5709 [0.5543–0.5881]

0.110

 Fraction Anisotropy

0.4435 [0.4354–0.4529]

0.4422 [0.4352–0.4485]

0.4409 [0.4279–0.4493]

0.197

  1. Numbers are presented as percentages and as medians with interquartile ranges (IQR; 25th–75th percentiles). FDR-adjusted p-values reflect the results of two-sided tests adjusted for age, sex, and education, with false discovery rate (FDR) correction applied for multiple comparisons. Exact p-values are provided in the Source Data file. PASC, post-acute sequelae of COVID-19; NS-PASC, no significant PASC group; Other-PASC, group with multifaceted symptoms (Montreal Cognitive Assessment [MoCA] ≥26 [a score ≥26 was considered normal], Fatigue Assessment Scale [FAS] ≥22 [a score >22 indicated higher levels of fatigue], and/or PASC score [symptom scores selected to define PASC] ≥12 [the threshold for the PASC score was ≥12]); Cog-PASC, group with cognitive impairment (MoCA <26 [a score ≤25 was considered mild cognitive impairment]).
  2. GM gray matter, DTI-ALPS diffusion tensor imaging analysis along the perivascular space, CP choroid plexus.
  3. aFDR-adjusted p < 0.05 between Cog-PASC vs. NS-PASC.
  4. bFDR-adjusted p < 0.05 between Cog-PASC vs. Other-PASC.
  5. cFDR-adjusted p < 0.05 between Other-PASC vs. NS-PASC.
  6. dParamagnetic susceptibility was measured in NS-PASC (n = 39), Other-PASC (n = 29), and Cog-PASC (n = 12).
  7. eMD, RD, and FA were calculated from the DTI analysis acquired in NS-PASC (n = 73), Other-PASC (n = 49), and Cog-PASC (n = 28).
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