Central sensitization in long COVID: Associations with autonomic symptom burden, cerebral hypoperfusion, and neuroinflammation - PubMed
6 hours ago
- #Long COVID
- #Neuroinflammation
- #Central Sensitization
- Central sensitization (CS) is highly prevalent, present in 81% of Long COVID patients studied.
- Patients with CS had significantly greater symptom burden across autonomic, sensory, and global health domains compared to those without CS.
- CS was associated with objective markers: greater orthostatic cerebral blood flow decline and higher interleukin-6 levels, suggesting links to cerebral hypoperfusion and neuroinflammation.
- Autonomic failure and abnormal skin biopsy findings were common but occurred at similar frequencies in both groups with and without CS.
- CS may contribute to multisystem Long COVID symptoms, with cerebral hypoperfusion and neuroinflammation as potential underlying mechanisms.