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UWOMJ 2026 94(1)
Ahmed & Barkhouse (2026) 1 of 11
Editorial
Post-Infectious Encephalitis Through the Lens of Long COVID
Minhal Ahmed1*, Kate Barkhouse1
1 Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
* Correspondence: mahmed12028@meds.uwo.ca
Abstract:
Post COVID 19 condition (Long COVID) is a chronic condition that occurs after infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
The manifestation and timeline are highly variable, encompassing a range of neurological, cardiovascular, and respiratory complaints which persist three or more months after the initial infection.
One finding in Long COVID patients has been brain PET hypometabolism involving the bilateral rectus/orbital gyrus, right temporal lobe, bilateral pons/medulla brainstem, and bilateral cerebellum.
This finding is highly associated with functional complaints, with relationships identified between specific regions of hypometabolism and patients’ reported symptoms, and may be an important piece of the multiple factors leading to Long COVID.
The pathophysiology of Long COVID is still hypothetical and is suspected to include multiple intertwined effects of virally-induced cellular neurological alterations, dysregulated immune response, and persistent and occult viral presence in tissues.
This profile is closely shared with post-infectious syndromes from other infections including influenza, the Spanish flu, measles, and others, suggesting a shared pathophysiological axis that may include viral neurotropism, immune dysregulation, and persistent central nervous system dysfunction.
Together, this raises the possibility that SARS-CoV-2 may trigger a spectrum of post-encephalitic neurological syndromes in susceptible individuals. Understanding this metabolic footprint within the broader context of post-acute infection syndromes offers a framework for accelerating research into the mechanisms and treatments of long COVID and related post-infectious neurological conditions.
UWOMJ 2026 94(1)
Ahmed & Barkhouse (2026) 1 of 11
Editorial
Post-Infectious Encephalitis Through the Lens of Long COVID
Minhal Ahmed1*, Kate Barkhouse1
1 Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry, Western University, London, Ontario, Canada
* Correspondence: mahmed12028@meds.uwo.ca
Abstract:
Post COVID 19 condition (Long COVID) is a chronic condition that occurs after infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
The manifestation and timeline are highly variable, encompassing a range of neurological, cardiovascular, and respiratory complaints which persist three or more months after the initial infection.
One finding in Long COVID patients has been brain PET hypometabolism involving the bilateral rectus/orbital gyrus, right temporal lobe, bilateral pons/medulla brainstem, and bilateral cerebellum.
This finding is highly associated with functional complaints, with relationships identified between specific regions of hypometabolism and patients’ reported symptoms, and may be an important piece of the multiple factors leading to Long COVID.
The pathophysiology of Long COVID is still hypothetical and is suspected to include multiple intertwined effects of virally-induced cellular neurological alterations, dysregulated immune response, and persistent and occult viral presence in tissues.
This profile is closely shared with post-infectious syndromes from other infections including influenza, the Spanish flu, measles, and others, suggesting a shared pathophysiological axis that may include viral neurotropism, immune dysregulation, and persistent central nervous system dysfunction.
Together, this raises the possibility that SARS-CoV-2 may trigger a spectrum of post-encephalitic neurological syndromes in susceptible individuals. Understanding this metabolic footprint within the broader context of post-acute infection syndromes offers a framework for accelerating research into the mechanisms and treatments of long COVID and related post-infectious neurological conditions.