Table 6 Parameters of magnetic resonance imaging: thickness and paramagnetic susceptibility in the validation cohort

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

 

NS-PASC (n = 46)

Other-PASC (n = 47)

Cog-PASC (n = 16)

Adjusted P*

Thickness (mm)

 Whole cortex

2.4382 [2.4038–2.4935]

2.4683 [2.4197–2.5101]

2.3983 [2.3706–2.4502]

0.070

 Frontal cortex

2.5558 [2.4986–2.6005]

2.5562 [2.5084–2.6179]

2.5203 [2.4441–2.5712]

0.031b

 Orbitofrontal gyrus

2.5235 [2.4607–2.5895]

2.5200 [2.4712–2.5861]

2.4783 [2.4265–2.5050]

0.204

 Cingulate cortex

2.4929 [2.4584–2.5561]

2.5053 [2.4236–2.5724]

2.3941 [2.3605–2.4553]

0.001a,b

 Anterior cingulate

2.6165 [2.5605–2.6732]

2.6435 [2.5326–2.6972]

2.5234 [2.4447–2.5623]

0.001a,b

 Posterior cingulate

2.4493 [2.3715–2.5535]

2.4855 [2.3960–2.5425]

2.3678 [2.2897–2.4487]

0.016a,b

 Temporal cortex

2.9027 [2.8264–2.9452]

2.9108 [2.8423–2.9860]

2.8340 [2.8155–2.8868]

0.170

 Parahippocampal gyrus

2.6215 [2.5000–2.7445]

2.6790 [2.5775–2.8095]

2.6543 [2.5728–2.7390]

0.191

 Insular cortex

3.0053 [2.9300–3.1095]

3.0520 [2.9765–3.1465]

2.9303 [2.8360–2.9780]

0.004b

 Parietal cortex

2.2645 [2.1952–2.3334]

2.3024 [2.2485–2.3411]

2.2012 [2.1663–2.2855]

0.045b

 Occipital cortex

1.8170 [1.7494–1.8693]

1.7980 [1.7672–1.8652]

1.8059 [1.7639–1.8482]

0.922

Volumes (cm3)

 Whole cortex

550.1927 [517.2897–591.6449]

534.7152 [510.7998–566.9834]

533.7354 [498.6916–569.4189]

0.047

 Whole white matter

488.5678 [470.6366–526.9901]

470.4560 [444.6333–509.1751]

473.4718 [441.4073–526.3285]

0.145

 Frontal cortex

158.8510 [146.6560–170.9290]

155.3880 [148.0725–168.2960]

157.0415 [141.7285–164.0045]

0.217

 Cingulate cortex

18.8035 [17.3550–20.8010]

18.3220 [17.0115–19.4345]

18.2090 [16.8920–20.0815]

0.131

 Temporal cortex

104.7985 [96.7180–110.3080]

101.3670 [95.3745–108.1235]

99.5790 [96.2180–111.3255]

0.516

 Parietal cortex

105.8480 [99.4430–116.3340]

105.0860 [96.4585–109.9225]

98.6160 [96.4915–105.8225]

0.021a

 Occipital cortex

46.1605 [42.2360–48.3170]

44.1600 [41.1345–49.4370]

42.9595 [41.1515–46.0665]

0.209

 Insular cortex

13.7965 [12.9840–14.4060]

13.1060 [12.2705–13.7920]

13.4400 [12.6535–14.0885]

0.101

 Subcortical gray matter

57.3255 [54.5160–60.7890]

55.7020 [52.6495–59.0440]

56.3980 [52.7905–58.7180]

0.203

 Cerebellar cortex

101.4220 [94.4987–111.2443]

97.7786 [91.6609–104.0578]

97.8672 [91.0984–106.0426]

0.027c

Paramagnetic susceptibility (ppb)d

Cortical GM

    

 Whole cortex

0.0243 [0.0238–0.0252]

0.0243 [0.0229–0.0253]

0.0245 [0.0242–0.0253]

0.260

 Frontal cortex

0.0239 [0.0230–0.0247]

0.0240 [0.0228–0.0253]

0.0246 [0.0235–0.0251]

0.548

 Cingulate cortex

0.0199 [0.0191–0.0210]

 

0.0210 [0.0204–0.0215]

0.151

 Temporal cortex

0.0285 [0.0274–0.0293]

0.0285 [0.0265–0.0300]

0.0284 [0.0277–0.0297]

0.818

 Parietal cortex

0.0203 [0.0194–0.0210]

0.0200 [0.0192–0.0210]

0.0208 [0.0201–0.0216]

0.146

 Occipital cortex

0.0276 [0.0265–0.0300]

0.0284 [0.0255–0.0295]

0.0293 [0.0276–0.0321]

0.005b

 Insular cortex

0.0202 [0.0187–0.0214]

0.0200 [0.0184–0.0209]

0.0211 [0.0195–0.0225]

0.308

Deep GM

 Thalamus

0.0247 [0.0231–0.0263]

0.0236 [0.0226–0.0248]

0.0242 [0.0227–0.0272]

0.390

 Caudate

0.0469 [0.0417–0.0504]

0.0405 [0.0359–0.0462]

0.0485 [0.0406–0.0544]

0.005b

 Putamen

0.0591 [0.0463–0.0653]

0.0482 [0.0398–0.0555]

0.0631 [0.0425–0.0775]

0.005b,c

 Pallidum

0.1168 [0.1061–0.1234]

0.1163 [0.1069–0.1256]

0.1132 [0.1012–0.1536]

0.228

 Hippocampus

0.0210 [0.0195–0.0212]

0.0200 [0.0190–0.0213]

0.0215 [0.0203–0.0246]

0.002b

 Amygdala

0.0167 [0.0157–0.0177]

0.0167 [0.0154–0.0179]

0.0174 [0.0165–0.0195]

0.193

Choroid plexus

 CP volume fraction

0.1039 [0.0943–0.1144]

0.0988 [0.0867–0.1149]

0.1238 [0.0985–0.1622]

<0.001a,b

DTI analysise

 DTI-ALPS index

1.4963 [1.3498–1.6899]

1.5673 [1.4443–1.6863]

1.3918 [1.2708–1.5285]

0.020b

 Mean Diffusivity (×10−3 mm²/s)

0.7539 [0.7460–0.7723]

0.7580 [0.7447–0.7695]

0.7776 [0.7578–0.8062]

<0.001a,b

 Radial Diffusivity (×10−3 mm²/s)

0.5565 [0.5435–0.5737]

0.5610 [0.5476–0.5736]

0.5777 [0.5605–0.6147]

<0.001a,b

 Fraction Anisotropy

0.4437 [0.4299–0.4554]

0.4418 [0.4346–0.4508]

0.4357 [0.4146–0.4445]

0.006a,b

  1. 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]). 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.
  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 = 25), Other-PASC (n = 39), and Cog-PASC (n = 14).
  7. eMD, RD, and FA were calculated from the DTI analysis acquired in NS-PASC (n = 45), Other-PASC (n = 46), and Cog-PASC (n = 16).
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