Japanese researchers link COVID-19 ‘brain fog’ to neural receptors

People with post-COVID “brain fog” have unusually high numbers of a receptor that mediates neurotransmission in the central nervous system, Japanese researchers have found.

According to a new study by researchers at Yokohama City University, patients suffering from brain fog, a lingering symptom of COVID-19 marked by impaired concentration and memory, experience an increase in AMPA receptors — protein complexes critical for normal brain function — across wide regions of the brain.

Brain fog poses a serious obstacle to returning to work or school. However, its underlying mechanism remains undetermined, and there is no clear and effective treatment method for it.