A new study suggests that a reduction in serotonin levels may be a key component in the vexing medical mystery of long COVID. According to research published in Cell, some individuals may be able to alleviate symptoms such as brain fog by taking medication to boost this neurotransmitter. The New York Times reports that the study, conducted by the University of Pennsylvania, builds on previous research and outlines a series of events. This chain of events, as explained in Medical Xpress, starts with remnants of the virus lingering in the gut, triggering the release of interferons by the immune system to combat the infection. However, these interferons also lead to inflammation, hindering the body’s absorption of tryptophan, an amino acid crucial for serotonin production.
“These effects can explain a wide spectrum of symptoms that our patients with long COVID have,” says Benjamin Abramoff, a co-author of the study, to STAT News. “It certainly points us in a direction of the underlying root causes.” Reduced serotonin levels could impact short-term memory and contribute to other cognitive issues commonly experienced by individuals with long COVID.
It is important to note that this study was relatively small, involving around 120 participants, roughly half of whom were experiencing symptoms of long COVID. Future studies with larger sample sizes will seek to replicate these findings. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that one in five individuals who contract regular COVID develop long COVID, and symptoms often vary from person to person.
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