About this Research Topic
Existing research suggests that patients with acute coronavirus illness (COVID) exhibit neuropsychiatric signs that may remain after recovery from the acute phase, a condition known as Long COVID disease. The majority of reported symptoms are neuro-psychiatric and affective symptoms, including chronic fatigue, depressive and anxiety symptoms, cognitive dysfunction, and sleep impairments, in addition to somatic symptoms such as autonomic symptoms, muscle pain, muscle tension, headache, a flu-like malaise, gastro-intestinal symptoms (GIS), shortness of breath, persistent cough, and chest pain. The presence of these symptoms during the acute phase of illness has a negative effect on the severity of infection, as indicated by the exacerbation of the systemic symptoms of COVID disease, and severely reduces the patients' recovery capacity. Moreover, after complete recovery, these symptoms are more pronounced and highly prevalent in up to (87%) of the recovered individuals. Thus, global concern has been raised due to the likelihood of developing new global health issues, particularly after the acute infection with SARS-COV-2 began to decline due to increased vaccination and boosting rates as well as improved clinical practice in treating infected patients. In extreme circumstances, the prevalence of mental, degenerative and somatic symptoms in recovered individuals is significantly connected with a diminished quality of life and even necessitates medical intervention.
In spite of this, the pathogenesis of mental, neurodegenerative, and neuropsychiatric symptoms linked with COVID infection, whether in the acute phase or after recovery, remains unknown. In this regard, the activated immune-inflammatory and oxidative stress pathways during the acute COVID phase, as well as low-grade inflammation and decreased total antioxidant defenses beyond infection, may be responsible for the development of these symptoms (2-6 months after recovery). To effectively treat and manage these symptoms, researchers must investigate the biochemical factors underlying them, whether in the acute or long-term COVID period. Thus, the purpose of the current Research Topic is to encourage scholars in this field to publish their works on the pathways underpinning the neuro-psychiatric and neurodegenerative symptoms of acute and Long COVID.
This Topic is interested in but not limited to,
1- Immune-inflammatory biomarkers of affective symptoms in Long COVID.
3- Functional MRI studies and affected brain areas in acute or Long COVID that may explain affective symptoms.
3- Tryptophan levels and kynurenine pathways in acute or Long COVID.
4- Precision psychiatry approaches and machine learning in acute or Long COVID patients
5- Biomarkers of oxidative, nitrosative, and chlorenative stress in acute or Long COVID.
6. Genetic markers of Long COVID.
In spite of this, the pathogenesis of mental, neurodegenerative, and neuropsychiatric symptoms linked with COVID infection, whether in the acute phase or after recovery, remains unknown. In this regard, the activated immune-inflammatory and oxidative stress pathways during the acute COVID phase, as well as low-grade inflammation and decreased total antioxidant defenses beyond infection, may be responsible for the development of these symptoms (2-6 months after recovery). To effectively treat and manage these symptoms, researchers must investigate the biochemical factors underlying them, whether in the acute or long-term COVID period. Thus, the purpose of the current Research Topic is to encourage scholars in this field to publish their works on the pathways underpinning the neuro-psychiatric and neurodegenerative symptoms of acute and Long COVID.
This Topic is interested in but not limited to,
1- Immune-inflammatory biomarkers of affective symptoms in Long COVID.
3- Functional MRI studies and affected brain areas in acute or Long COVID that may explain affective symptoms.
3- Tryptophan levels and kynurenine pathways in acute or Long COVID.
4- Precision psychiatry approaches and machine learning in acute or Long COVID patients
5- Biomarkers of oxidative, nitrosative, and chlorenative stress in acute or Long COVID.
6. Genetic markers of Long COVID.
Keywords: Biomarkers, Neuro-immune, Immune-inflammatory pathways, Oxidative stress, Nitrosative stress, chlorenative stress, Machine learning, Precision psychiatry models, Infectious pathways, Neurocognition, Chronic fatigue syndrome, Myalgic encephalomyelitis
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