Speaker
Description
Growing evidence implicates that metabolic dysregulation, particularly insulin resistance and low-grade inflammation, increase the risk for persistent alterations of brain function after infectious disease. The CARE-MIND study investigates the influence of central insulin signaling for neuropsychiatric impairments in patients suffering from Long-COVID. In a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover study, Long-COVID patients and healthy controls undergo multimodal neuroimaging, including functional MRI during reward processing and rest, as well as proton and phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy (¹H-/³¹P-MRS) to assess in vivo brain metabolism. Intranasal insulin is administered to probe central insulin sensitivity and its effects on neural responses. Neuroimaging data are integrated with psychometric, cognitive, metabolic, inflammatory, and autonomic measures to identify mechanistic links and potential therapeutic targets.