Publications

Authors:

Bozzetti, Silvia; Ferrari, Sergio; Zanzoni, Serena; Alberti, Daniela; Braggio, Michele; Carta, Sara; Piraino, Francesco; Gabbiani, Daniele; Girelli, Domenico; Nocini, Riccardo; Monaco, Salvatore; Crisafulli, Ernesto; Mariotto, Sara

Title:

Neurological symptoms and axonal damage in COVID-19 survivors: are there sequelae?

Year:

2021

Type of item:

Articolo in Rivista

Tipologia ANVUR:

Articolo su rivista

Language:

Inglese

Format:

A Stampa

Referee:

Sì

Name of journal:

Immunologic Research

ISSN of journal:

0257-277X

N° Volume:

69

Number or Folder:

6

Page numbers:

553-557

Keyword:

COVID-19; Hypogeusia; Hyposmia; Neurofilament; NfL; SARS-CoV-2

Short description of contents:

The persistence of neurological symptoms after SARS-CoV-2 infection, as well as the presence of late axonal damage, is still unknown. We performed extensive systemic and neurological follow-up evaluations in 107 out of 193 consecutive patients admitted to the COVID-19 medical unit, University Hospital of Verona, Italy between March and June 2020. We analysed serum neurofilament light chain (NfL) levels in all cases including a subgroup (n = 29) of patients with available onset samples. Comparisons between clinical and biomarker data were then performed. Neurological symptoms were still present in a significant number (n = 49) of patients over the follow-up. The most common reported symptoms were hyposmia (n = 11), fatigue (n = 28), myalgia (n = 14), and impaired memory (n = 11) and were more common in cases with severe acute COVID-19. Follow-up serum NfL values (15.2 pg/mL, range 2.4-62.4) were within normal range in all except 5 patients and did not differentiate patients with vs without persistent neurological symptoms. In patients with available onset and follow-up samples, a significant (p < 0.001) decrease of NfL levels was observed and was more evident in patients with a severe acute disease. Despite the common persistence of neurological symptoms, COVID-19 survivors do not show active axonal damage, which seems a peculiar feature of acute SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Web page:

https://doi.org/10.1007/s12026-021-09220-5

Product ID:

122089

Handle IRIS:

11562/1047389

Last Modified:

November 15, 2022

Bibliographic citation:

Bozzetti, Silvia; Ferrari, Sergio; Zanzoni, Serena; Alberti, Daniela; Braggio, Michele; Carta, Sara; Piraino, Francesco; Gabbiani, Daniele; Girelli, Domenico; Nocini, Riccardo; Monaco, Salvatore; Crisafulli, Ernesto; Mariotto, Sara, Neurological symptoms and axonal damage in COVID-19 survivors: are there sequelae? «Immunologic Research» , vol. 69 , n. 6 , 2021 , pp. 553-557

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