Dysfunction of glymphatic system in recovered COVID-19 patients: A diffusion tensor image analysis along the perivascular space (DTI-ALPS)

Motivation: Central nervous related sequelae are often reported in recovered COVID-19 patients. It’s unclear whether recovered patients have glymphatic impairment and clinical correlation. Goal(s): Assessing glymphatic function in recovered patients and the clinical correlation. Approach: 61 recovered patients and 38 healthy controls were enrolled. Glymphatic function was assessed using DTI-ALPS and compared between recovered and HC subjects. Results: The impairment of glymphatic function was observed in recovered patients and was more obvious in older patients. It was correlated with sleep quality and anxiety status in a subgroup of recovered patients. Impact: Our study firstly provided evidence of glymphatic function impairment in recovered COVID-19 patients.