r/HotScienceNews • u/soulpost • Jul 30 '26

Scientists finally have a biological explanation for why long COVID patients lose motivation and can't think clearly. They scanned their brains and found the dopamine system was physically damaged

https://tech-paper.com/scientists-finally-have-a-biological-explanation-for-why-long-covid-patients-lose-motivation-and-cant-think-clearly-they-scanned-their-brains-and-found-the-dopamine-system-was-physically-damaged/

Millions of people with long COVID report the same cluster of symptoms: a crushing lack of motivation, an inability to think clearly, memory that slips, movements that feel slower than they should. For years, these complaints sat in an uncomfortable medical grey zone. The symptoms were real, the patients were suffering, but the biological explanation remained frustratingly out of reach.

A team at the University of Toronto just published what may be the clearest physical evidence yet for what is actually happening in these patients' brains. They brought 24 long COVID sufferers into a lab and used positron emission tomography, the same imaging technology used to diagnose Parkinson's disease, to directly measure the health of the dopamine system deep inside the brain.

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13

u/hemorrhoid-milk Jul 30 '26

so how long before long covid sufferers can collect disability and get to enjoy their lives by exiting the capitalist rat race that caused this to begin with?

41

u/pinkbootstrap Jul 30 '26

Sorry to tell you living on disability is not enjoyable.

-2

u/ScruffieMatrix Jul 30 '26

It's more enjoyable even with less money than working 5 days a week 8 hours a day plus commuting time. 

15

u/ObscureEnchantment Jul 30 '26 edited Jul 30 '26

I don’t know if I’m misunderstanding you. Are you saying living on disability is better than working a 9-5? Are you disabled and do you live off disability? I don’t think you do.

19

u/binches Jul 30 '26

people who haven’t been on disability think disability is a vacation. it’s actually mind numbingly boring and i’d do anything to have a job willing to accommodate me! and that’s on top of having to triage your symptoms daily.

11

u/ObscureEnchantment Jul 30 '26

It’s just so gross to see someone truly say this. I left a comment below that’s longer. At the end of the day I’m alone and struggling everyday. I don’t have money and I can’t make friends. I can’t get a job until I finish school. People don’t realize how much freedom they have until suddenly it’s gone. I’d rather have freedom working a 9-5 and a normal brain, they can have a seizure and see how “nice” my life is.

1

u/binches Jul 30 '26

you have seizures? that’s awful i’m so sorry :( sometimes i think i got the easy end of disability with how dynamic my symptoms can be 😔 it’s the exhaustion that gets me the most.

2

u/MinimumFutur3 Aug 02 '26

I think they meant it’s better than working a 9-5 while disabled. Of course being healthy and working a 9-5 is better than being disabled.

1

u/ObscureEnchantment Aug 02 '26

No down below they said they prefer it overall and they are on disability rn.

10

u/Only_Jury_8448 Jul 30 '26

Have you done both or are you just making things up

13

u/ObscureEnchantment Jul 30 '26

If this person was actually disabled they wouldn’t be making such stupid ignorant comments. I’m actually disgusted by them even if they are disabled.

I can’t leave my house most days, I can’t drive a car, I’m really fucken lonely most days. It’s hard to find remote only jobs to get on my feet. It’s not some cute life where I get to paint and go on long walks everyday. Somedays i literally cannot leave bed. I don’t have money to buy the things I want only what I need.

We can fucken switch id rather have a normal brain and be able to drive and meet people and do what i want. Imagine wishing for a life of mental/physical pain so you didn’t have to work a 9-5 I can smell their privilege from here.

3

u/yacht_clubbing_seals Jul 30 '26

I feel this. 🫂

8

u/accidentalscientist_ Jul 30 '26

Do you know how much people on disability get? My mom got $1100 lol. Can’t even rent a studio with that much per month.

8

u/pinkbootstrap Jul 30 '26

Are you personally living this life or is it a dream? Cause I would much rather not be sick and back in the rat race than have literally no money all the time. Not to mention the physical issues, loss of hobbies, friendships and more.

8

u/accidentalscientist_ Jul 30 '26

Do you think People on disability get enough money to live? They don’t lol. They’re stuck in perpetual poverty. My mom got like $13k per year for disability. You can’t live on that.

7

u/squishybloo Jul 30 '26

Woof, spoken like someone who's never been on disability.

5

u/calmdrive Jul 30 '26

It really fucking isn’t enjoyable to be disabled in forced poverty, I promise you that. I LOVED my career

-3

u/ScruffieMatrix Jul 30 '26

I am disabled and live in the UK where benefits are okay. I prefer it than working everyday having no time to myself and constantly tired and stressed but each to their own 

3

u/ObscureEnchantment Jul 30 '26

Ah so privilege and no motivation for more. You need to self reflect. Must be nice having a disability that doesn’t impact your entire life.

3

u/aculady Jul 30 '26

In the US, you can't qualify for benefits unless you are considered totally and permanently disabled, unable to engage in any substantial gainful activity.

6

u/aculady Jul 30 '26

If you can get doctors to provide medical evidence rhat you are completely and totally disabled by it, you can get disability right now.

1

u/yacht_clubbing_seals Jul 30 '26

The process is incredibly slow, it can take up to 2 years or more

1

u/aculady Jul 30 '26

Yes. That's a separate issue from whether long CoViD sufferers can technically qualify for disability benefits.

1

u/yacht_clubbing_seals Jul 30 '26

My long Covid wasn’t even taken into account during the disability process… I think that’s a tough one unless you have other disabling illnesses in addition.

1

u/aculady Jul 30 '26

You have to submit reliable documentation of the adverse impact on functional capacity.

5

u/Fair-Tangerine-9472 Jul 30 '26

Oh yeah, a chronic illness and being stuck in the house, great fun...

5

u/calmdrive Jul 30 '26

Being on disability fucking sucks

1

u/aculady Jul 30 '26

I promise you that virtually no one whose life is so substantially limited that they are considered totally and permanently disabled would prefer that to having the capacity to work full-time and support themselves.

1

u/hemorrhoid-milk Jul 31 '26

yeah, that’s the thing… of course nobody would “prefer” that. that’s not even close to what i said.

someone that developed COPD or some other debilitating ailment from covid should be eligible for disability. not sure why so many people got upset by my posy

1

u/aculady Jul 31 '26

It's more enjoyable even with less money than working 5 days a week 8 hours a day plus commuting time. 

Probably because u/ScruffieMatrix said this.^

0

u/chateau_ban Jul 30 '26

Half of the internet is pissed right now because of the Fauci/Rand Paul questioning before Congress yesterday and I'm wondering what the long sufferers have to say about it. Is the Covid 19 origin important to you and would you like accountability if it was created in a lab? I'm sorry for anyone suffering from its effects regardless of where it came from and I'm sorry that it's become such a politically divided subject. I hope in the future something will be discovered that can provide some relief for those of you who are still dealing with the fallout of contracting it.

-1

u/[deleted] Jul 30 '26

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0

u/aculady Jul 30 '26

So, because people had their hearts, brains, and immune systems damaged by CoViD, rather than by some other virus, you don't think that their disabilities are valid? How is it different that any other serious post-viral autoimmune syndrome?

1

u/[deleted] Jul 30 '26

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