National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke 1R01NS147100-01

Blood-Brain Barrier Integrity and Immune Dynamics in Neuropsychiatric Sequelae of Post-SARS-CoV-2 onset ME/CFS versus Pre-Pandemic ME/CFS Patients

A research project funded by NINDS to study blood-brain barrier integrity and immune dynamics in ME/CFS patients post-SARS-CoV-2 compared to pre-pandemic patients, using imaging and immunophenotyping to understand neuroinflammation and neuropsychiatric symptoms.

Description

This project investigates the role of blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability and immune cell migration in neuroinflammation and neuropsychiatric symptoms in ME/CFS, comparing post-SARS-CoV-2 onset ME/CFS patients with pre-pandemic ME/CFS patients and recovered SARS-CoV-2 individuals. The study employs brain imaging, neuropsychiatric assessments, and immunophenotyping in 100 post-pandemic ME/CFS patients, 100 pre-pandemic ME/CFS patients, and 100 recovered SARS-CoV-2 individuals as controls. Techniques include non-contrast MRI with water-extraction phase-contrast arterial spin tagging (WEPCAST) to assess BBB permeability. Goals include evaluating BBB integrity, correlating soluble markers and PBMC-associated markers with BBB permeability, and understanding their relationship with cognitive and psychiatric outcomes. Findings aim to inform therapeutic strategies to reduce neuroinflammation in Long COVID.

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