Gehirnscans zeigen neuronale Konnektivitätsdefizite bei Long-COVID und ME/CFS. Studie zeigt, dass das Gehirn von Menschen mit Long-COVID und myalgischer Enzephalomyelitis/chronischem Müdigkeitssyndrom Schwierigkeiten hat, bei geistig ermüdenden Aufgaben effektiv zu kommunizieren.

>New research suggests that the brains of people with Long COVID and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) struggle to communicate effectively during mentally tiring tasks. While healthy brains appear to tighten their neural connections when fatigued, these patients show disrupted or weakened signals between key brain areas. This [study](https://doi.org/10.1186/s12967-026-07708-y) was published in the Journal of Translational Medicine.

>ME/CFS and Long COVID are chronic conditions that severely impact the quality of life for millions of people. Patients often experience extreme exhaustion and “brain fog,” which refers to persistent difficulties with memory and concentration.

>A defining feature of these illnesses is post-exertional malaise. This describes a crash in energy and a worsening of symptoms that follows even minor physical or mental effort. Doctors currently lack a definitive biological test to diagnose these conditions. This makes it difficult to distinguish them from one another or from other disorders with similar symptoms.

>The research team sought to identify objective biological markers of these illnesses. Maira Inderyas, a PhD candidate at the National Centre for Neuroimmunology and Emerging Diseases at Griffith University in Australia, led the investigation. She worked alongside senior researchers including Professor Sonya Marshall-Gradisnik. They aimed to understand how the brain behaves when pushed to the limit of its cognitive endurance.

>Professor Marshall-Gradisnik noted the shared experiences of these patient groups. “The symptoms include cognitive difficulties, such as memory problems, difficulties with attention and concentration, and slowed thinking,” Professor Marshall-Gradisnik said. The team hypothesized that these subjective feelings of brain fog would correspond to visible changes in brain activity.