Abstract #1742

Advanced magnetic resonance imaging to study brain tissue alterations in people infected with SARS-COV-2

Claudia A.M. Gandini Wheeler-Kingshott^1,2,3, Marios C. Yiannakas¹, Janine Makaronidis^4,5,6, Ferran Prados^7,8, Baris Kanber⁷, Bhavana S. Solanky¹, Marco Battiston¹, Jed Wingrove⁴, Francesco Grussu^1,7,9, Gloria Castellazzi^10,11, Jonathan Stutters¹, James McStravick¹, Anita Karsa¹², Rebecca Samson¹, Karin Shmueli¹², Xavier Golay¹³, Geoff J. M. Parker^1,7, Daniel C. Alexander⁷, Yael Hacohen¹, Egidio D'Angelo^2,3, Frederik Barkhof^13,14, Carmen Tur^1,15, Louis Grandjean¹⁶, Olga Ciccarelli¹, and Rachel L. Batterham^4,5,6

¹NMR Research Unit, Queen Square MS Centre, Department of Neuroinflammation, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, Faculty of Brain Sciences, University College London (UCL), London, United Kingdom, ²Department of Brain & Behavioural Sciences, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy, ³Brain Connectivity Center Research Department, IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy, ⁴UCL Centre for Obesity Research, Division of Medicine, University College London (UCL), London, United Kingdom, ⁵Bariatric Centre for Weight Management and Metabolic Surgery, University College London Hospital (UCLH), London, United Kingdom, ⁶National Institute of Health Research, UCLH Biomedical Research Centre, London, United Kingdom, ⁷Centre for Medical Image Computing, University College London (UCL), London, United Kingdom, ⁸E-Health Center, Universitat Oberta de Catalunya, Barcelona, Spain, ⁹Radiomics Group, Vall d’Hebron Institute of Oncology, Vall d’Hebron Barcelona Hospital Campus, Barcelona, Spain, ¹⁰IRCCS Mondino Foundation, Pavia, Italy, ¹¹Department of Electrical, Computer and Biomedical Engineering, University of Pavia, Pavia, Italy, ¹²Department of Medical Physics & Biomedical Engineering, University College London (UCL), London, United Kingdom, ¹³Department of Brain Repair & Rehabilitation, University College London (UCL), London, United Kingdom, ¹⁴Radiology, VU Medical Centre Amsterdam, Amsterdam, Netherlands, ¹⁵Neurology-Neuroimmunology Department, Multiple Sclerosis Centre of Catalonia (Cemcat), Vall d’Hebron Barcelona Hospital Campus, Barcelona, Spain, ¹⁶Department of Infection, Inflammation and Immunity, Institute of Child Health, University College London (UCL), London, United Kingdom

COVID-19 has now been associated with neurological symptoms, but the pathogenesis of such symptoms is unknown. Advanced quantitative MRI can provide information on alterations of brain tissue properties beyond clinically identifiable lesions. We developed a novel comprehensive scanning protocol and highly automated analysis pipeline to compare brain structure and function in people who were exposed to SARS-COV-2 infection against people who were not. Initial findings indicate that COVID-19 alters white matter microstructure and brain metabolism.

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