Neuroimmune activation and increased brain aging in chronic pain patients after the COVID-19 pandemic onset
Journal article
Brusaferri, L., Alshelh, Z., Schnieders, J.H., Sandström, A., Mohammadian, M., Morrissey, E.J., Kim, M., Chane, C.A., Grmek, G.C., Murphy, J.P., Bialobrzewski, J., DiPietro, A., Klinke, J., Zhang, Y., Torrado-Carvajal, A., Mercaldo, N., Akeju, O., Wu, O., Rosen, B.R., Napadow, V., Hadjikhani, N. and Loggia, M.L. (2023). Neuroimmune activation and increased brain aging in chronic pain patients after the COVID-19 pandemic onset. Brain, Behavior and Immunity. 116, pp. 259-266. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbi.2023.12.016
Authors | Brusaferri, L., Alshelh, Z., Schnieders, J.H., Sandström, A., Mohammadian, M., Morrissey, E.J., Kim, M., Chane, C.A., Grmek, G.C., Murphy, J.P., Bialobrzewski, J., DiPietro, A., Klinke, J., Zhang, Y., Torrado-Carvajal, A., Mercaldo, N., Akeju, O., Wu, O., Rosen, B.R., Napadow, V., Hadjikhani, N. and Loggia, M.L. |
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Abstract | The COVID-19 pandemic has exerted a global impact on both physical and mental health, and clinical populations have been disproportionally affected. To date, however, the mechanisms underlying the deleterious effects of the pandemic on pre-existing clinical conditions remain unclear. Here we investigated whether the onset of the pandemic was associated with an increase in brain/blood levels of inflammatory markers and MRI-estimated brain age in patients with chronic low back pain (cLBP), irrespective of their infection history. A retrospective cohort study was conducted on 56 adult participants with cLBP (28 ‘Pre-Pandemic’, 28 ‘Pandemic’) using integrated Positron Emission Tomography/ Magnetic Resonance Imaging (PET/MRI) and the radioligand [11C]PBR28, which binds to the neuroinflammatory marker 18 kDa Translocator Protein (TSPO). Image data were collected between November 2017 and January 2020 (‘Pre-Pandemic’ cLBP) or between August 2020 and May 2022 (‘Pandemic’ cLBP). Compared to the Pre-Pandemic group, the Pandemic patients demonstrated widespread and statistically significant elevations in brain TSPO levels (P =.05, cluster corrected). PET signal elevations in the Pandemic group were also observed when 1) excluding 3 Pandemic subjects with a known history of COVID infection, or 2) using secondary outcome measures (volume of distribution -VT- and VT ratio - DVR) in a smaller subset of participants. Pandemic subjects also exhibited elevated serum levels of inflammatory markers (IL-16; P <.05) and estimated BA (P <.0001), which were positively correlated with [11C]PBR28 SUVR (r’s ≥ 0.35; P’s < 0.05). The pain interference scores, which were elevated in the Pandemic group (P <.05), were negatively correlated with [11C]PBR28 SUVR in the amygdala (r = −0.46; P<.05). |
Keywords | Neuroinflammation; PET; MR; mental health; COVID-19; Pandemic; Chronic pain; Brain Age |
Year | 2023 |
Journal | Brain, Behavior and Immunity |
Journal citation | 116, pp. 259-266 |
Publisher | Elsevier |
ISSN | 1090-2139 |
Digital Object Identifier (DOI) | https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbi.2023.12.016 |
Publication dates | |
Online | 12 Dec 2023 |
Publication process dates | |
Accepted | 08 Dec 2023 |
Deposited | 13 Dec 2023 |
Accepted author manuscript | License File Access Level Open |
https://openresearch.lsbu.ac.uk/item/95x1w
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Accepted author manuscript
1-s2.0-S0889159123003975-main.pdf | ||
License: CC BY 4.0 | ||
File access level: Open |
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