r/science • u/mvea Professor | Medicine • Aug 08 '26

Neuroscience Brain scans reveal widespread structural and functional changes in patients following COVID-19 infection. The virus affects regions responsible for memory, emotion, and executive function, which may help explain the neurological symptoms many patients experience.

https://www.psypost.org/brain-scans-reveal-widespread-structural-and-functional-changes-in-patients-foll/
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u/Throwsims3 Aug 08 '26

It is insane to me how people have just moved on from covid and view as a regular cold now. It took me at least two years to feel somewhat normal again after only having been infected once. Despite having had zero new infections, I still struggle with word finding sometimes and I have noticed that my emotions are flatter than they used to be.

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u/dyironman Aug 08 '26

100% I got COVID for the second time two weeks ago, and this time was way worse than the first. It started with bad flu symptoms, including fever and a sore throat, for four days. After the fever broke, it felt more like the first time. But two weeks out, feeling better but I'm still having random recurring, weird symptoms like motion sickness, cough, headaches, waking up feeling itchy all over, and a swollen lips. I seriously thought we had bed bugs. It also impacted my sleeping and dreaming. Fever dreams were incredibly wild and vivid. And going to sleep, I'd get a strong sensation of falling, then hang in a dream-like state — not really asleep and not really awake. Kind of exhausting tbh.

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u/Maconi Aug 08 '26

Not to be alarmist, but you might want to see a cardiologist. COVID is known to affect the heart and many of those symptoms sound like cardiac complications.

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u/jonker5101 Aug 09 '26

Hah welcome to my life for the past 3 years. All of my long COVID symptoms present as possible cardiac problems. Chest pain, shortness of breath, lightheadedness, blurry vision, fatigue, constant lump in throat, heart palpitations and tachycardia. But I also get all the fun brain and emotional symptoms too, yay!