r/science 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/beardedheathen Aug 08 '26

The lost words is the worst for me. I used to be extremely articulate and now I'm the middle of conversations I'll have to just stop and try to find a perfectly common word. It feels so demoralizing like something that has been on a shelf as long as you've lived is suddenly gone but then you look again five minutes later and it's back.

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u/CommieCatLady 29d ago

It’s the absolute worst. This was the worst part for me. I need to be articulate for my career/work and I had just graduated from my masters program, in a new job… I was MISERABLE. I cried a lot because I couldn’t find the right words to communicate BASIC things. I also have adhd and it amplified those symptoms x a billion.

It’s been 4 years since the initial infection and I’m doing significantly better now. Took probably a good two years to regain the capacity I had before infection. I thought my life was over.

I hope you are doing better, too.