Dopamine disruption linked to long COVID brain fog and fatigue

CAMH researchers used PET brain imaging to find reduced markers of dopamine neuron health across striatal regions in people with long COVID, indicating loss of dopamine-releasing neurons that tracks with fatigue, reduced motivation, slower movement, and memory difficulties; the findings point to a dopamine-centered mechanism and could guide new treatments, with a planned clinical trial to test dopamine-boosting approaches alongside inflammation-focused work.