Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39500417›Full record

ReviewBrain, behavior, and immunity2025

Acute and long-term effects of COVID-19 on brain and mental health: A narrative review.

J Douglas Bremner, Scott J Russo, Richard Gallagher, Naomi M Simon

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in Brain, behavior, and immunity, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 8 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
8citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

8 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Review
  3. Review
  4. Article
  5. Review
  6. Article
  7. Mental Health Concerns in Patients with COVID-19: A Network Analysis.Psychology research and behavior management · 2025
    Article
  8. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors.

J Douglas BremnerDepartments of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences and Radiology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta Georgia, and the Atlanta VA Medical Center, Decatur, GA, USA; Nash Family Department Neuroscience and Brain-Body Research Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai, New York, NY, USA; Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University (NYU) Langone Health, New York, NY, USA. Electronic address: jdbremn@emory.edu.
Scott J RussoNash Family Department Neuroscience and Brain-Body Research Center, Icahn School of Medicine at Mt. Sinai, New York, NY, USA.
Richard GallagherDepartment of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, New York University (NYU) Langone Health, New York, NY, USA; Department of Psychiatry, New York University (NYU) Langone Health, New York, NY, USA.
Naomi M SimonDepartment of Psychiatry, New York University (NYU) Langone Health, New York, NY, USA.

Funding

ROLE OF PERIPHERAL IMMUNE-DERIVED MMP8 IN STRESS SUSCEPTIBILITYR01MH104559 · NIMH · ICAHN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT MOUNT SINAI · PI SCOTT JAMES RUSSO · 2014 to 2026
$9.2M
Non-Invasive Vagal Nerve Stimulation in Patients with Opioid Use DisordersUH3DA048502 · NIDA · EMORY UNIVERSITY · PI BREMNER, JAMES DOUGLAS, INAN, OMER TOLGA · 2023 to 2025
$5.8M
Neural Circuit Mechanisms of Stress-Impaired Social RewardR01MH127820 · NIMH · ICAHN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT MOUNT SINAI · PI RUSSO, SCOTT JAMES · 2021 to 2025
$3.5M
Dopamine function, inflammation and connectivity in PTSDR01MH120262 · NIMH · EMORY UNIVERSITY · PI BREMNER, JAMES DOUGLAS · 2020 to 2023
$2.9M
Role of lateral habenula orexin receptor signaling in aggressive social behaviorR01MH114882 · NIMH · ICAHN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT MOUNT SINAI · PI RUSSO, SCOTT JAMES · 2017 to 2021
$2.7M
Non-Invasive Vagal Nerve Stimulation in Patients with Opioid Use Disorders UG3DA048502 · NIDA · EMORY UNIVERSITY · PI BREMNER, JAMES DOUGLAS, INAN, OMER TOLGA · 2020 to 2021
$844k
CSRD VA I01 CX002331NIDA NIH HHS UG3 DA048502NIDA NIH HHS UH3 DA048502NIMH NIH HHS R01 MH104559NIMH NIH HHS R01 MH114882NIMH NIH HHS R01 MH120262NIMH NIH HHS R01 MH127820RRD VA I01 RX003418
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundCOVID infection has been associated with long term sequalae (Long COVID) which include neurological and behavioral effects in thousands of patients, but the etiology and scope of symptoms is not well understood. This paper reviews long term sequelae of COVID on brain and mental health in patients with the Long COVID syndrome.

methodsThis was a literature review which queried databases for Pubmed, Psychinfo, and Medline for the following topics for January 1, 2020-July 15, 2023: Long COVID, PASC, brain, brain imaging, neurological, neurobiology, mental health, anxiety, depression.

resultsTens of thousands of patients have developed Long COVID, with the most common neurobehavioral symptoms anosmia (loss of smell) and fatigue. Anxiety and mood disorders are elevated and seen in about 25% of Long COVID patients. Neuropsychological testing studies show a correlation between symptom severity and cognitive dysfunction, while brain imaging studies show global decreases in gray matter and alterations in olfactory and other brain areas.

conclusionsStudies to date show an increase in neurobehavioral disturbances in patients with Long COVID. Future research is needed to determine mechanisms.

Indexed as

BrainCOVID-19Mental HealthPost-Acute COVID-19 SyndromeSARS-CoV-2AnosmiaAnxietyCognitive DysfunctionDepressionFatigueHumansNeuropsychological TestsCOVIDDepressionImmunityInfectionLong COVIDOlfactory bulb

Identifiers

PMID39500417
PMCPMC11974614

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceTDM
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.