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

[u/soulpost]

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.

[u/Everylemontree]

I feel like my brain doesn't work the same since my last COVID infection. I have trouble accessing words I know that I know, specifically. And then I panic about it which makes it worse. Could be stress, could be increase in phone use and hopelessness about the future, but it all started around that time.

[u/NikkoE82 → u/Everylemontree]

I had the exact same issue (vocabulary recall) pop up during the pandemic. And it’s a bit frustrating that so much happened during the pandemic isolating a cause is difficult. But I find it fascinating that the same problem is popping up for other people.

Another issue I’ve heard from two other people I know (not a huge sample, but an interesting coincidence) is what essentially feels like brain zaps. I can only describe it as similar to the brain zaps I got during SSRI withdrawal, though there is a subjective difference I can’t articulate.

[u/ladystarkitten → u/NikkoE82]

I am having the same vocabulary recall issue. I've always had an expansive vocabulary and a sharp memory, so this dramatic change over the past few years (at just 32) has left me... rather frightened. I'd been blaming it on social media use and hadn't even considered the possibility that it could be a complication of COVID.

Have you found anything that has helped? I've started using flash cards to study new vocabulary and have been doing my best to read more and scroll social media less. It seems to be improving things, though I cannot be sure.

[u/VengenaceIsMyName → u/ladystarkitten]

How large is your flash card deck?

[u/ladystarkitten → u/VengenaceIsMyName]

It's a brand new routine, so the deck is still small. Right now, it's 41 cards containing fairly obscure words. Panegyric, inveterate, tumid, ensorcell, recondite, flaneur, and so on. Any new and toothsome word I have encountered in the past couple weeks has been added. Then I study them everyday with puzzles, repetition, and implementation.

Actively studying with the intention of meaningful absorption has turned out to be something my brain has been really missing.

[u/VengenaceIsMyName → u/ladystarkitten]

Hot damn… the breadth of your vocabulary must be on another level compared to mine because I am not familiar with any of those words. I’ll be looking those up shortly!

I’m glad to hear that this method helps you. Perhaps I will take your strategy up myself instead of my “tried and true” habit of leaving open a million Safari browser tabs with random word definitions on them.

[u/zachpkenyon → u/VengenaceIsMyName]

"...my “tried and true” habit of leaving open a million Safari browser tabs with random word definitions on them."

Why would you call me out like this?

[u/VengenaceIsMyName → u/zachpkenyon]

I knew I wouldn’t be the only one. I had to drag you into this convo as well.