SARS-CoV-2 is associated with changes in brain structure in UK Biobank
There is strong evidence of brain-related abnormalities in COVID-19. 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.