SARS-CoV-2 is associated with changes in brain structure in UK Biobank

. However, it remains unknown whether the impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection can be detected in milder cases, and whether this can reveal possible mechanisms contributing to brain pathology. Here we investigated brain changes in 785 participants of UK Biobank (aged 51-81 years) who were imaged twice using magnetic resonance imaging, including 401 cases who tested positive for infection with SARS-CoV-2 between their two scans-with 141 days on average separating their diagnosis and the second scan-as well as 384 controls. The availability of pre-infection imaging data reduces the likelihood of pre-existing risk factors being misinterpreted as disease effects. We identified significant longitudinal effects when…

• WT
  Wellcome Trust

  Awards: 203139/Z/16/Z, 202788/Z/16/Z, 215573/Z/19/Z, 203139
• UR
  UK Research and Innovation
• NI
  National Institute for Health and Care Research

  Award: 203139/Z/16/Z
• IC
  Imperial College London
• UD
  UK Dementia Research Institute
• NI
  National Institutes of Health

  Awards: ZIA-MH002781, ZIA-MH002782, 203139/Z/16/Z
• MR
  Medical Research Council

  Awards: MC_PC_12029, MC_PC_12027, MC_PC_17228, MR/K006673/1, MC_PC_12028, MC_PC_21051, MC_EX_G0801669, MC_PC_15067, MR/T033371/1
• BR
  Biomedical Research Council
• NO
  NIHR Oxford Biomedical Research Centre

  Award: 203139/Z/16/Z