COVID-19

Lingering inflammation from viruses like COVID-19 or HIV can take a lasting toll on the brain. New research shows exactly how specific immune system imbalances lead to memory lapses and slowed thinking.

A new study finds no link between COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy and neurodevelopmental delays. Researchers observed equivalent communication, motor, and social skills in toddlers regardless of whether their mothers received the vaccine.

A new study using 7 Tesla MRI technology reveals that patients with chronic fatigue conditions suffer from disrupted brain connectivity. Unlike healthy brains, these patients struggle to integrate neural networks when mentally fatigued.

Researchers have found that individuals with no lingering COVID-19 symptoms still exhibit distinct changes in brain tissue integrity and neurochemistry compared to those who were never infected.

A new study suggests in-person learning mitigated the youth mental health crisis. Contrary to reports claiming diagnoses fell, the data reveals that open schools acted as a brake on rising cases rather than a cure.

Children whose mothers had COVID-19 during pregnancy showed a 29% higher odds of neurodevelopmental diagnoses by age three, particularly males and those exposed in the third trimester.

New research into the lingering effects of “brain fog” reveals a surprising biological signature in COVID-19 survivors. Scientists have uncovered a distinct link between the brain’s internal chemistry and its structural integrity.

New research demonstrates that long COVID can be a severely disabling condition. A recent study found individuals with lasting symptoms report worse daily function than 98% of the general population, with a significant negative impact on their overall quality of...

A comprehensive review of studies on pandemic-era gaming finds that while people played more, the increase was modest and unrelated to mental health outcomes. The findings raise questions about whether concerns over gaming during lockdown were overstated or misdirected.

The COVID-19 pandemic may have altered adolescent development in lasting ways, a new study indicates. Researchers found that teens assessed after lockdowns had disrupted stress hormone levels, heightened immune activation, and diminished brain responses to emotional and rewarding experiences.

A large longitudinal study tracking COVID-19 survivors for up to 42 months provides evidence that brain fog tends to improve over time. Yet for some, deficits in processing speed and executive function appear to persist even three years after infection.

Unlike other drug users, individuals who used psychedelics and cannabis during the pandemic saw average improvements in anxiety and depression, according to a UK-based longitudinal study that tracked mental health before and after COVID-19 restrictions.

What if "zombie" cells are driving long-COVID? Researchers propose that viruses push blood vessel cells into a dysfunctional state, causing the microclots, oxygen debt, and severe fatigue that millions experience long after an infection has cleared.

Many people hospitalized with COVID-19 still had trouble focusing and reacting quickly three months after discharge, even if they seemed physically recovered. These attention problems could affect daily tasks like driving or working.

An international study of over 15,000 adults across 16 countries found that dream recall and nightmares became more common during the pandemic, with sleep duration, age, and gender all playing a role in how often people experienced them.