An essential brain chemical responsible for carrying messages between nerve cells in the brain and throughout the body all but disappears in people with long COVID. The discovery may provide critical clues as to what causes one of the common neurological side effects of the post-COVID condition.
According to a new study published in the journal Cell, University of Pennsylvania researchers found the neurotransmitter serotonin is significantly reduced in patients with long COVID. Serotonin loss results in a slow erosion of memory, the hindered ability to concentrate, and mood changes like depression and anxiety—otherwise known as “brain fog.”
