Can Diffusion Microstructural Imaging Provide Insights Into Long Covid Beyond Conventional MRI?
In a recent interview, Alexander Rau, M.D., discussed emerging research, presented at the recent RSNA conference, that shows the capability of diffusion microstructural imaging to differentiate subtle shifts in microstructural gray matter associated with common symptomatology of long Covid.
Long Covid may affect up to 41 percent of non-hospitalized adults who have had COVID-19, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
However, diffusion microstructural imaging, a novel magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique, may provide improved insight into associations between microstructural changes in the brain and common Long Covid effects such as neurocognitive deficits, fatigue, and olfactory dysfunction, according to new research presented at the recent Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) conference.
In a recent interview, Alexander Rau, M.D., one of the lead authors of the study, discussed key findings from the prospective research that compared 89 patients with long Covid, 38 patients who had a COVID-19 infection but didn’t have long Covid, and 46 patients with no history of COVID-19.
By utilizing diffusion microstructural imaging, Dr. Rau and his colleagues discovered patterns of microstructural gray matter alterations that differed between those with long Covid and those who didn’t have long Covid after having a COVID-19 infection, particularly in basal brain structures.
“There is an impact of COVID-19 on the brain’s microstructure that we could measure with advanced diffusion imaging that was undetectable on conventional (MRI) imaging,” noted Dr. Rau, a resident in the Departments of Neuroradiology and Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology at University Hospital Freiburg in Freiburg, Germany. “Those alterations were associated with post-COVID condition associated symptoms such as fatigue, impaired olfaction, and cognitive decline. Thus, there is evidence that those alterations contribute to the pathophysiology of the post-COVID condition.”
(Editor’s note: For related content, see “MRI Study: People with Past Hospitalization for COVID-19 Have Nearly Triple the Risk of Multiorgan Abnormalities,” “New Meta-Analysis Details Most Common Brain MRI Findings with COVID-19” and “Seven Takeaways from New Consensus Recommendations for Cardiac MRI Assessment of COVID-19.”)
For more insights from Dr. Rau, watch the video below.
FDA Clears Enhanced MRI-Guided Laser Ablation System
June 5th 2025An alternative to an open neurosurgical approach, the Visualase V2 MRI-Guided Laser Ablation System reportedly utilizes laser interstitial thermal therapy (LITT) for targeted soft tissue ablation in patients with brain tumors and focal epilepsy.
Can Abbreviated MRI Have an Impact in Differentiating Intraductal Papilloma and Ductal Secretion?
June 3rd 2025For patients with inconclusive ultrasound results, abbreviated breast MRI offers comparable detection of intraductal papilloma as a full breast MRI protocol at significantly reduced times for scan acquisition and interpretation, according to a new study.
FDA Issues Expanded Pediatric Approval of MRI Contrast Agent for Lung Ventilation Assessment
June 2nd 2025Previously approved for MRI lung ventilation evaluation in adults and children 12 and older, the hyperpolarized contrast agent Xenoview can now be utilized for pediatric patients six years and older.
