Brain Structural Abnormalities in Patients with Post-COVID-19 Headache, 2025, Széphelyi et al

Abstract

Background/Objectives: Headache is one of the most common neurological symptoms associated with COVID-19, affecting approximately 25% of patients. While most headaches resolve within weeks, some persist for months, suggesting underlying structural brain changes. This study aimed to identify brain MRI abnormalities associated with chronic headaches in patients with a history of COVID-19 infection.

Methods: This retrospective study included 30 patients with post-COVID-19 headaches and 30 control patients with no history of COVID-19. Demographic characteristics were analyzed using t-tests and chi-square tests. MRI findings were categorized into six types: cortical atrophy, white matter lesions, vascular lesions, lacunar lesions, vascular encephalopathy, and sinusitis. Differences in MRI findings between the two groups were evaluated using chi-square tests. Secondary outcomes included the analysis of symptoms accompanying headaches, diagnoses following MRI, and treatments applied.

Results: White matter lesions were significantly more frequent in the post-COVID-19 group (50%) compared to controls (20%) (p = 0.015). Conversely, sinusitis was more prevalent in the control group (36.7%) than in the post-COVID-19 group (6.7%) (p = 0.005). Other MRI abnormalities showed no significant differences. Cognitive dysfunction (30%) and dizziness (33.3%) were the most common associated symptoms. The most frequent diagnoses after MRI in the post-COVID-19 group were headaches/migraines (23.3%), post-COVID-19 headache (20%), and vestibular syndrome (13.3%).

Conclusions: Persistent post-COVID-19 headaches may be linked to structural white matter changes observed in MRI. Further research, ideally including pre-infection imaging data, is needed to determine the causal relationship between these lesions and chronic headache symptoms. Trial Registration: This study was registered in ClinicalTrials with the trial registration number NCT06825741 on 13 February 2025.

Open access: https://www.mdpi.com/2035-8377/17/4/50