In mid-2023, neurologist Ioannis Mavroudis from Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust noticed a significant pattern. Many Long Covid patients presented with symptoms remarkably similar to post-concussion syndrome. These symptoms include fatigue, sleep disturbances, sensitivity to light and noise, exercise intolerance, and cognitive issues.
Post-concussion syndrome, triggered by head trauma, affects athletes, military veterans, and others who have experienced head injuries. Mavroudis, who often treats professional rugby players, explains that both conditions may result from the brain’s neurons demanding more energy than the brain can provide, leading to a persistent cycle of fatigue.
Intrigued by these similarities, Mavroudis cited them in a scientific review published in May 2023. This observation was also noted by a group of experts at the University of Denver, Colorado. Their research found that standard concussion tests applied to Long Covid patients revealed similar neurological issues, suggesting that diagnostic tools for concussions could help assess and treat Long Covid patients.
Herbert Renz-Polster, a researcher at the University of Heidelberg, has studied Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS), a condition with overlapping symptoms. He believes that both Long Covid and post-concussion syndrome may involve dysfunction in the brainstem, a critical area connecting the brain and spinal cord. This dysfunction could disrupt the brain’s connectivity and contribute to the symptoms observed in these conditions.
Research indicates that the brainstem is particularly vulnerable to neurotropic viruses like SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for Covid-19. Autopsies have found viral RNA and proteins in the brainstem, and excessive immune activation from infections can exacerbate the damage. This vulnerability may explain the neurological symptoms seen in Long Covid.
Renz-Polster theorizes that both trauma and viral infections can impair brainstem activity and disrupt the blood-brain barrier, leading to mitochondrial dysfunction. This dysfunction affects the energy supply to cells, contributing to the fluctuating symptoms seen in Long Covid, ME/CFS, and post-concussion syndrome.
Advanced imaging technologies, such as ultrahigh-field MRI, could help researchers study the brainstem in greater detail, potentially confirming these theories. Additionally, Renz-Polster suggests that psychedelic drugs like ibogaine and psilocybin, which modulate brain networks including the brainstem, could offer new treatment avenues for Long Covid.
Both conditions also show patterns of viral reactivation, such as herpes viruses, which may cause inflammation and contribute to ongoing symptoms. Exploring treatments to prevent viral reactivation, such as the BCG vaccine, could offer further relief for patients.
With millions affected by these conditions worldwide, researchers are optimistic that understanding the links between Long Concussion and Long Covid will lead to effective treatments. Mavroudis expresses hope for future breakthroughs, saying, “I believe that there will be some treatments that might be able to change how the brainstem works in these patients and might be able to help them with the sleeping issues, and with tiredness and fatigue.”
Stay tuned to EMC News for the latest updates on this promising research and its potential impact on Long Covid and post-concussion syndrome treatments.
