Brain Microstructural Alterations in Children Post-COVID-19 Infection Through VBM, SBM, and Structural Covariance Network Analysis.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Children represent a particularly vulnerable group to the long-term consequences of COVID-19 due to their ongoing neurodevelopment. This study aimed to identify transient and persistent structural alterations in children recovering from the infection by comparing pretreatment and posttreatment MRI scans and to evaluate differences in brain morphology and network organization relative to age- and sex-matched healthy controls.

Methods

A retrospective cohort of 26 children aged 8-12 years with confirmed COVID-19 was compared to 26 healthy controls. All participants underwent high-resolution T1-weighted MRI on a 3T scanner using identical acquisition protocols. Standard VBM and SBM pipelines were applied to quantify cortical volume, thickness, and sulcal depth, follow

SUBMITTER: Wang R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12451088 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature