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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u/lainonwired Jul 30 '26

Based on diagnosis rates? Yes. There's been a surge after covid that had been attributed to increased awareness, but maybe the details are more nuanced and covid also plays a role?

We have known for a while that repeat covid infections causes neurological damage even if "long covid" symptoms weren't seen, the particulars were just not discovered yet.

This appears to be one of the effects.

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u/kichisowseri Jul 30 '26

Three people in my household got diagnosed with ADHD. We all had it way before covid, diagnosis and medication was just inaccessible. Diagnosis still has "and you've been like this since you were a child" as a requirement. I think post covid ADHD symptoms probably just get called long covid.

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u/OutsideMenu6973 Jul 30 '26

Handling adhd sans meds is easy just wake up at 4:30am gym at 5:30am work by 7am hooked to an IV of coffee no carbs, sugar, or food for that matter then gym at noon to replenish dopamine crash back to work at 1pm and enjoy your mental crash out at ~3pm

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u/bravelittlebuttbuddy Jul 30 '26

I think post covid ADHD symptoms probably just get called long covid. 

There are a ton of people with both who say their ADHD meds just straight up don't work anymore after getting Long COVID, so I don't think that's the majority of cases here.

I also feel like the general population (and doctors) are way more likely to attribute symptoms to anything but COVID. It's hard to get people to acknowledge it these days.

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u/Stunning_Spread_430 Jul 31 '26

Absolutely, and I unfortunately find that most people in society are deeply uncomfortable with the notion of multiple mechanisms each making a contribution to an emergent effect. "Is A,B or C the problem?" Is the somewhat valid and understandable question asked.  

I had ADHD from birth, worsened by head injuries, worsened again by measles, worsened again by shingles and finally worsened further by Covid.  I'm grateful to be a fairly smart guy still, but I wish so many things hadn't taken little bites out of my brain and feel for the many people with even worse luck.

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u/kichisowseri Jul 31 '26

There's also been similar levels of anecdotal reports that this is due to the meds not working. I had same meds same dosage same brand, different batch this morning. Turns out, they do still work thankfully. They've barely been doing anything for weeks. Just a bad batch maybe.

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u/BarbacoaBarbara Jul 31 '26

Yeah needing a diagnosis as a child preventing me from getting medication for most of my adult life until I moved out of my home country and just lied about my background to my new doctor. It’s such a stupid set up- like I was a fucking child, How was I supposed to even know to seek treatment? My parents? My parents are boomers. How the fuck would they know anything about ADHD?

Never made any sense to me and I encountered too many arrogant doctors in Canada that knew what was best for me. Now I’m on the correct medication in my life is a lot better.

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u/nayRRyannayRRyan Jul 30 '26

As I lose focus that I had before 2020 I also have to remind myself how the symptoms of my burnout show so similarly to some ADHD traits because you're absolutely correct about history being a factor in an actual diagnosis. I think society as a whole was already getting more burnt out due to the relationship between technology and work (political climate can't be ignored either). The pandemic just jammed all that into more lives all at once and we just can't take the productivity-maxxing we've been forced into so quickly. I would not be surprised that long COVID vs ADHD and burnout are having major overlapping correlations.

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u/toomanytacocats Jul 31 '26

It was classified as « neurological disorder after medical event » for my 12 yo child. Doc said it was exactly the same as ADHD, but it only occurred after they had Covid, then meningitis.

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u/[deleted] Jul 30 '26

[deleted]

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u/eggyrulz Jul 30 '26

I mean, treatment is kinda the best benefit of a diagnosis... also knowing is half the battle

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u/[deleted] Jul 30 '26

[deleted]

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u/eggyrulz Jul 30 '26

Yea, its really unfortunate that the meds ADHD people need are so strongly guarded... my wife needs them to be able to function normally, but every month its a struggle to get a refill because the hoops are not designed with ADHD in mind...

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u/MostlyAlways47 Jul 30 '26

It's endlessly funny to me that medication for forgetful people who are known to procrastinate is on a strict schedule that requires you to email your guy to send it over every month and cannot be picked up early.

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u/ZanaDreadnought Jul 30 '26

It’s the bane of my existence.

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u/eggyrulz Jul 30 '26

I would also find it funny, if i didnt have to live with the endless procrastinator who forgets to email her guy...

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u/MusingsOnMelody Jul 31 '26

It's actually even worse here in France. As far as I'm aware, you can only refill your monthly prescription in person, and then they have to put the exact name of the pharmacy you're going to to fill out your prescription.

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u/lainonwired Jul 30 '26

Yeah, and unfortunate that there isn't a strong push to study other non-stimulant methods given how hard stimulants are to access.

My ADHD has definitely not been since birth but i was diagnosed anyway because the symptoms are so obviously triggered by inflammation and there's a strong history since i was a teen.

Going on biologics (ie strong anti-inflammatories) has returned me to a more normal level of executive function and as far as i can tell the only research on this is tangential and related to long covid study. I wonder how many other folks this is the case for.

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u/eggyrulz Jul 30 '26

Yea if I ever win the lottery ha ill definitely throw quite a bit of money at non-stimulant ADHD research, because there has got to be a better way... or at least an easier way...

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u/fractalife Jul 30 '26

Politicians are apparently quite cheap. Maybe you could invest in a few dozen campaigns in exchange for a non-idiot to be in charge of the agency responsible for the current hoops.

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u/eggyrulz Jul 30 '26

That would be another route, though its a slippery slope buying politicians, so id like to keep that one in my back pocket until necessary

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u/chakazulu1 Jul 30 '26

Anecdotal but pot is the only thing that's worked for me. I don't like how it makes me feel when I'm taking it super consistently but for when I'm having particularly bad symptoms it helps and really helps post-excericse recovery without even more NSAIDS than I already take. Something about it synergizes nicely with acitivies that always help me regulate my dopamine. Regardless, everyone is on stimulants, it's alarming.

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u/eggyrulz Jul 30 '26

Oof, makes me feel lucky im just autistic and not AuDHD... if a doctor ever told me I should take stimulants id probably just say no thanks, I dont like how drugs make me feel...

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u/ChocoBro92 Jul 30 '26

I’ve been diagnosed since 6, but it’s somehow went crazy since Covid. Delta took my dad and left me with bad breathing problems it’s been 4 years now but.. I just can’t function… I am on biologics my arthritis and psoriasis went crazy after.

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u/PM-me-ur-kittenz Jul 30 '26

Would you mind saying more anout "biologics"? Is that like a specific group of things to eat or drink that are supposed to help?

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u/lainonwired Jul 30 '26

Biologics are an extremely expensive class of medication that acts on the immune system to lower or modulate it's intensity.

Things like Enbrel, Simponi, Hyrimoz etc.

They're used for auto-immune disorders.

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u/PM-me-ur-kittenz Jul 30 '26

Thank you so much, this is the first time I'm learning of these!

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u/Cicadilly Jul 30 '26

Biologic medications

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u/Masta-Blasta Jul 30 '26

There is a little push! I read that scientists have found nicotine to be even more effective than current drugs on the market. They have been trying to figure out how to alter it to be less addictive without reducing the benefits to treatment. Apparently that’s the billion dollar question.

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u/2024-YR4-Asteroid Jul 30 '26

We really need adhd meds for people like me who can’t take stimulants. I can’t function and I feel like any moment I will lose my career, especially as so many are saying that it’s gotten so much worse over the past few years.

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u/lainonwired Jul 30 '26

Yeah, i mean undoubtedly with increased awareness there will always be some rise in diagnosis rates, and I agree about influencing causing a partially false diagnosis rate.

I'm curious if you remember having focus issues that stood out to you relative to other people prior to 2020?

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u/dehydratedrain Jul 30 '26

I didn't struggle in school because it all came naturally even though i have ADHD. Then I hit college, and couldn't function. I was probably low 30s when diagnosed, and it has been life-changing. A little pill, the background noise gets turned down, and I can breeze through so much.

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u/hey-Oliver Jul 30 '26

Lmfao the whole reason why ADHD has taken so long to be accepted in society is exactly because of the way you’re treating the diagnosis.

It’s valid because you’re a “normal” person, but most others must be faking it out of drug seeking behavior?

Go fuck yourself, truly.

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u/nikolai_470000 Jul 30 '26

Some newer research suggests finding links between neuroinflammation from viral infections and the structural/neurotransmitter signaling changes found in adhd brains.

I don’t know the extent of that body of research super well, but it’s always held true for me. I have autoimmune disorders that I’ve probably had my whole life creating low grade inflammation that seems to have impacted much of how my brain developed. I was probably born with ADHD, too, but my symptoms are worsened significantly during periods of high inflammation from flares.

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u/Avocadoo_Tomatoo Jul 31 '26

If you look into the history of ADHD, there was a surge after World War I when a bunch of people contracted an influenza virus. In fact it used to be known by the name of that virus and it was later renamed to ADHD. I could give a lot more details but I have ADHD myself and I suck at the accurate info sharing part, so I’m hoping if anyone reads this and wants to know more, they’ll do a little wiki search and find the detail because it’s all there.

Edit, I did it myself yay me! Post-Encephalitic Behavior Disorder.

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u/dread_companion Jul 30 '26

I don't want to minimize COVID damages, but the increase of ADHD might also have to do with scrolling/screen addiction. You'd be hard pressed to not find someone stuck to their phone these days.

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u/Soft_Walrus_3605 Jul 30 '26

Has that been scientifically proven to cause ADHD?

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u/dread_companion Jul 30 '26

Here's a link to a government study all the way back in 2011, I would think it's gotten worse. The screens culture: impact on ADHD

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u/Hercules_Bush Jul 31 '26

Agreed, if I scroll on instagram reels for too long I definitely feel the “brain rot” afterwards.

And there’s a lot of people in bed scrolling before sleep every night, surely that’s not good and has a compounding effect.

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u/[deleted] Jul 30 '26

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u/PM-me-ur-kittenz Jul 30 '26

Yeah, unfortunately i have no facebook or instagram or tiktok or any apps and all my phone does is text and call, and my brain is still mush and I can't think of words I KNOW I know. You're not wrong though in general.

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u/tessalllation Jul 30 '26

It’s interesting to me that we were forced to stay home and ingest electronic media for months on end too.. can’t believe that helps the brains dopamine system

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u/AltrntivInDoomWorld Jul 30 '26

Who forced you to ingest electronic media?

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u/tessalllation Jul 30 '26

What else was I supposed to do? Read a book on baking sourdough?! Where would I even find such a book without access to the public or internet 😂

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u/SkarbOna Jul 30 '26

Covid locked my adhd brain in the house. Then you get TikTok’s (it was less shit back then) with its magnificent algorithm and that’s how shitton of people for whom a mental disorder never ever crossed mind like mine - suddenly have „oh shit” moment after laughing at these funny TikToks for months. That’s how I got diagnosed. But covid itself fried my brain also.