No evidence for neuronal damage or astrocytic activation in cerebrospinal fluid of Neuro-COVID-19 patients with long-term persistent headache.

Abstract

Background: Headache is one of the most common neurological manifestations of COVID-19. However, it is unclear whether chronic headache as a symptom of Post-COVID-19 is associated with ongoing CNS damage. Methods: We compared cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of markers of CNS damage and inflammation in Post-COVID-19 patients with persistent headache to hospitalized acute COVID-19 patients with neurological symptoms and to non-COVID-19 disease-controls. Results: CSF levels of neurofilament light chain, Ubiquitin carboxyl-terminal hydrolase L1 and Tau were similar in patients with persistent headache post-COVID-19 compared to acute COVID-19 patients and all control groups. Levels of glial fibrillary astrocytic protein were lower in patients with persistent headache post-COVID-19 compared to some control groups of patients with neurological disease. Conclusions: Our pilot study of CSF markers indicates that persistent post-COVID-19 headache is not a sign of underlying neuronal damage or glial activation.