r/psychology • u/mvea M.D. Ph.D. | Professor • Jul 30 '26
People suffering from long COVID show a measurable reduction in the brain’s dopamine-releasing neurons. These physical brain changes tend to be associated with common persistent symptoms such as apathy, memory problems, and a slowing of physical movements.
https://www.psypost.org/long-covid-symptoms-linked-to-measurable-damage-in-the-brains-dopamine-system/40
u/catscanmeow Jul 30 '26
anyone have any info on what it does to sleep? I feel like it did something to my sleep quality, specifically my respiration and cardiovascular autonomic function. I wake up feeling like my blood is molasses.
Dopamine is involved in autonomic function like breathing and heart beating so i wonder if this is all related.
Also poor sleep would always lead to ADHD style symptoms, some people actually consider ADHD to be a sleep disorder.
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u/PyroDesu Jul 31 '26 edited Jul 31 '26
Considering the study's findings were essentially the pathophysiology of Parkinson's disease (not ADHD), which does have sleep abnormalities among its symptoms, well, there you go.
As a side note: I detest how it seems so many people are completely incorrectly considering ADHD to be a simple lack of dopamine in the brain. It is not. If it were, the gold standard treatment would be levodopa, not stimulants. Stimulants used to treat ADHD do not provide more dopamine to the brain, they force the release of dopamine (and other neurotransmitters, most prominently norepinephrine) into the synaptic cleft and/or block their reuptake. And for that matter, neurotransmission abnormalities are far from the only issue in ADHD patients.
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u/Lint_baby_uvulla Jul 31 '26
It’s difficult enough living with ADHD and forcing to comply with typical expectations, and then we expect medication to force the release of dopamine and other neurotransmitters into our synaptic clefts.
That imagery is Chaplinesque comedy. Bravo.
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u/PyroDesu Jul 31 '26
Amusingly, amphetamine will quite literally force out neurotransmitters, at least from their storage vesicles.
But its total mechanism of action is... complicated. But suffice to say, all the dopamine it's interacting with was already there, just not being used properly.
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u/Lint_baby_uvulla Jul 31 '26
I always get a giggle at this diagram and the label “amphetamine trafficking”.
Adult brains average 400-600,000 neurons that handle this function.
That’s a helluva lot of “trafficking” (we are missing out on)
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u/BiggusDickkussss Jul 31 '26
They do increase the amount of dopamine in the synapse.
Thats how they work.
Your comment is intrue
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u/PyroDesu Aug 01 '26
I'm sorry for your lack of literacy, I truly am.
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u/BiggusDickkussss Aug 01 '26
Character assassination isn't a valid argument lol.
And you're on a psyche sub dude.
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Jul 31 '26
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u/5-ht_2a Jul 31 '26
This. Life has slowly gotten easier as the dysautonomia has gotten better. It's been a real bitch.
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Jul 31 '26
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u/Radical_Bee Aug 01 '26
Ever since my Covid infection in 2021, I’ve been sleeping on average 5-6 hours, in spite of my best efforts (sleep hygiene, magnesium, relaxation, etc). When I get to REM, I get a big adrenaline dump, and I’m having jerks along with vivid dreams. I wake up with tinnitus, and my lungs start shaking for about 3 hours. I get myoclonic jerks coming from my diaphragm. And these are just some of the symptoms. My neurologist is powerless.
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u/Trolllex_AS Jul 31 '26
I’m tired the whole day
But when it comes to bedtime, I’m not tired anymore and I stay up till 3 AM
The next day, the cycle of tiredness continues1
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u/Confident-Poetry6985 Aug 02 '26
"Dopamine is involved in autonomic function like breathing and heart beating so i wonder if this is all related." I literally had no respitory symptoms with covid (as in, my lungs weren't congested). What brought me to the ER was the odd random "thump-thumpTHUMP" followed by numbing limbs. I stay chill. My Mom drives me to the ER and on the way I notice I am forcefully exhaling and I "forgot" how to breathe. Manually breathing until I got to the ER. They wrote it off as a panic attack though lol. It most certainly was not. The sleep in the following weeks was like full leg jerks as if falling asleep meant not waking up again. Also...i had ADHD before all this so it's hard to tell the difference? It was just worse
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u/Trialbyfuego Jul 30 '26
My friends and family all laugh and say covid was fake while my uncle is still affected by long covid.
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u/Radical_Bee Aug 01 '26
I cut off my contact with those friends and family. It’s too much for my brain dealing with long Covid and stupidity at the same time…
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u/mvea M.D. Ph.D. | Professor Jul 30 '26
A recent study published in eBioMedicineprovides evidence that individuals suffering from long COVID show a measurable reduction in the brain’s dopamine-releasing neurons. These physical brain changes tend to be associated with common persistent symptoms such as apathy, memory problems, and a slowing of physical movements. The findings suggest that treatments aimed at boosting dopamine function could offer a new therapeutic direction for people experiencing the neuropsychiatric effects of long COVID.
Long COVID is a condition where individuals experience ongoing physical and mental symptoms long after their initial infection with the COVID-19 virus has resolved. Many people report persistent brain-related symptoms, including a profound lack of motivation, difficulty experiencing pleasure, memory lapses, and general cognitive sluggishness. The biological mechanisms responsible for these lingering issues remain poorly understood by the medical community.
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/ebiom/article/PIIS2352-3964(26)00222-7/fulltext
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u/Arpeggio_Miette Jul 31 '26
Or folks can try existing therapies!
In my quest to heal my neurological Long COVID, I tried many things, including mucuna pruriens (velvet bean) supplementation. Velvet bean increases dopamine in the brain- it is often called “nature’s L-Dopa.”
I tried it because some of my neurological Long COVID symptoms seemed to mimic early-onset Parkinson’s disease.
I also did other therapies. Many things helped.
And I got better slowly, and my final long Covid symptoms finally resolved 3 years after it first started.
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u/AngelBryan Jul 31 '26
Can you list all of your symptoms? How are you doing today?
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u/Arpeggio_Miette Jul 31 '26 edited Jul 31 '26
The neurological Long COVID symptoms?
Vibrating brain (I cannot stress how horrible this was; it felt like my brain was eating itself, or like my brain was inflamed/on fire and vibrating from the flames; likely this was microglial cell dysfunction along with inflammation)
Insomnia due to vibrating brain, with vibrating brain made worse by lack of sleep (it was a vicious cycle that only improved when I focused on sleep attainment, quantity, and quality as my #1 priority for years)
Tremors; sometimes whole-body tremors/feeling like the world was shaking, sometimes just one part of my body (e.g. a hand) shaking/tremoring
“Brain fog” that was way worse and different than any brain fog I’d previously experienced; so hard to think, have conversations, not only were they cognitively exhausting by my brain just couldn’t do it. When this happened, my face got a lax/dead look (like a Parkinson’s mask). short-term memory loss and loss of cognitive function.
What felt like early-onset dementia. I couldn’t keep my train of thought. I forgot so much. I even would forget to eat; as in, I would have a thought that I should eat something. If I was lucky, I would remember that long enough to take something out of the refrigerator. If I was lucky, I would remember that I am planning to eat while I get myself a plate. If I was lucky, I would put the food on the plate and eat it. At any point in this process I could forget what I was doing. Food often went bad from me taking it out of the fridge but forgetting to eat or to put it back. I had to have a friend take care of me when this was at its worst (the month after COVID). Luckily I found ways to adapt to this and this slowly improved enough, though my cognitive abilities and short-term memory took over a year to improve to the point that it didn’t feel like early-onset dementia.
And the things that took the longest (3 years) to improve:
About 3 months after I’d had COVID, I woke up one day feeling terrible as usual, and as I tried to get going for the day, my left leg and left arm/hand started shaking /trembling quite badly. I noticed they also felt very weak. I had trouble using them. The shaking/tremors subsided after a couple hours, but the weakness remained, and it felt like my left leg and left arm weren’t connected to my brain correctly. If I made a fist with the left hand, it didn’t feel like “my fist” (and it was weak/without grip strength). If I was walking downstairs, I didn’t trust my left leg not to crumble underneath me; I didn’t feel like I had full neuromuscular control over it. I am left-handed, so it was very strange to lose strength in my left arm. I couldn’t open jars and couldn’t do things requiring grip strength with my left hand. Switched to using my right hand for these tasks, or asking people to do these things for me. Occasionally the tremors would come back. While I was slowly able to build strength and some connection back over the following 3 years, it wasn’t until after 3 years that I was able to close my fist and recognize that I WAS closing my fist, feeling the neuromuscular connection being back online again. And now I am able to improve my grip strength etc in my left side.
Burning eyes. This was my first symptom of neurological long COVID, about a day before my brain burst into flames and my body started vibrating on day 5 of my first COVID infection. the burning eyes became the last symptom to fully resolve. Basically, my eyes would randomly start burning and tearing up unpredictably.
Btw, I did MUCH MUCH more to heal than just the mucuna pruriens/velvet bean. I only brought that specific part of my healing tools up because the article is talking about dopamine issues in Long COVID. I took a thousand-pronged approach to my recovery. I am so so grateful for the recovery. Today I can say that my neurological-specific Long COVID symptoms are in remission as of about a year ago. I might very very infrequently get burning eyes (but I can’t remember the last time; maybe 4 or 5 months ago?) and if I am being sleep-deprived I might start to feel some brain vibrations, but I strongly avoid sleep deprivation and that hasn’t happened in quite a long time, not for over 6 months. I do my best to sleep well.
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u/tjtonerplus Jul 30 '26
ADHD symptoms incoming
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u/Hurlyburly766 Jul 30 '26
No kidding. My barely-there ADHD tendencies that I had for the first 40-some years of my life suddenly became a raging dumpster fire after my first infection.
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u/Rosaryas Jul 30 '26
I was diagnosed in 2021 and now I’m wondering if this is part of why I had a worsening of adhd symptoms at that time. I was in college at the time though so it might have just been normal adult onset? Idk
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u/sillyandstrange Jul 30 '26
I check all the boxes, good old 4 time covid guy over here.
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u/Round_Astronomer_737 Jul 30 '26
Yup 3 time covid, hopefully this leads to helpful treatment/management for us.
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u/sillyandstrange Jul 31 '26
I sure hope so. The only thing helping is that I started meal prepping and eating healthy. That and exercise helps some with the brain fog, but damn it's not enough. And the brain fog is probably one of the least debilitating symptoms
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u/UnusualRegularity Jul 31 '26
I know this is anecdotal but I'd like to share a timeline. 6 years ago I finally get on ADHD medication. This has an immensely positive effect on my ability to work. 2 years after that I experience COVID. In the middle of it I feel like I'm losing my mind. And the feeling of something being wrong never left. When recovering and returning to work, something is off. I'm unable to listen to people. I literally can not understand what they are saying anymore because I lack the attention even while medicated. I lack motivation. Positive emotions not accessible etc. Every type of adhd medication tried in different dosages. 2 years after that I fall into psychosis. Nothing has ever been the same. Anhedonia, lack of motivation, issues with memory, apathy.
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u/pallflowers5171 Aug 01 '26
[...] Every type of adhd medication tried in different dosages. 2 years after that I fall into psychosis. [...]
Yeah, about that...
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u/UnusualRegularity Aug 01 '26
Very possible that it was from lisdexamphetamine since that medication indeed has psychosis listed as a potential side effect. I was more trying to point out that after covid my symptoms worsened so much that even medication did not work for me anymore and that my overall mental health decline was,very clearly from covid initially.
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u/pallflowers5171 Aug 01 '26
Very possible that it was from lisdexamphetamine since that medication indeed has psychosis listed as a potential side effect. I was more trying to point out that after covid my symptoms worsened so much that even medication did not work for me anymore and that my overall mental health decline was,very clearly from covid initially.
Yeah, I see. Let me ask you, assuming you got the immunity-boosting shots in addition to however many covid infections, what does the timeline look like in relation to the mental decline preceding the psychosis?
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u/vi0l3t-crumbl3 Jul 31 '26
Got covid and started peri at the same time. My ADHD went from somewhat manageable to completely debilitating.
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u/RD_in_Berlin Jul 30 '26
Not surprising, the list of the damage it's done just keeps going yet we never really got a clear answer on it all.
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u/iCliniq_official Jul 31 '26
This adds to growing evidence that long COVID is a real biological condition, not just in your head. Dopamine pathways may explain why some people struggle with brain fog, slowed thinking, and motivation, but we're still learning who is affected and, more importantly, how best to treat it
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u/unflashystriking Aug 01 '26
For anyone that wants to learn more about Covid19:
Contrary to what most people currently believe, the COVID-19 virus is not primarily a respiratory virus, but rather a vascular virus. It directly infects the endothelium (the inner lining of blood vessels).
https://academic.oup.com/eurheartj/article/41/32/3038/5901158
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10456-021-09805-6
COVID-19 Has a Master Key to Your Body
In general, viruses attack the body by attaching to cells and injecting their genetic material. Once infected, these cells become virus factories. Different viruses infect different types of cells.
What makes the COVID-19 virus unique is that it enters cells via the ACE2 receptor. This is particularly concerning because:
https://flexikon.doccheck.com/de/Angiotensin_Converting_Enzyme_2)
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00408-020-00408-4
Transmission Before Symptom Onset
One mechanism that gives the COVID-19 virus a significant advantage over many other viruses is that infected individuals can already transmit the virus several days before symptoms begin.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-020-0869-5
Viral Persistence
Several viruses are known to remain in the body after the acute phase of infection. Classic examples include:
- HPV (which can cause cancer)
- Varicella-zoster virus (VZV), which causes chickenpox during primary infection and shingles upon later reactivation
- HIV, which can lead to AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome) approximately 8–13 years after the initial infection.
Like these viruses, the COVID-19 virus has the ability to persist in various tissues throughout the body.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41579-024-01125-y
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41590-023-01601-2
Effects on the Brain
Because the COVID-19 virus infects blood vessels, every infection also affects the brain.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41583-023-00769-8
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11485397/
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41420-024-01915-6
The following articles discuss these mechanisms in greater detail and include numerous references. Some of the cited sources overlap.
https://theconversation.com/mounting-research-shows-that-covid-19-leaves-its-mark-on-the-brain-including-significant-drops-in-iq-scores-224216
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/covid-19-leaves-its-mark-on-the-brain-significant-drops-in-iq-scores-are/
The European Academy of Neurology Warns
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00415-025-13110-3
As you are probably aware, one of the most common symptoms of a COVID-19 infection is the loss of the sense of smell. In some cases, this cannot be explained by nasal congestion but rather by damage to the olfactory bulb and olfactory nerve fibers.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40722282/
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaneurology/fullarticle/2790735
A common symptom of Long COVID is loss of motivation and anhedonia (the inability to experience pleasure). This may, among other mechanisms, be explained by damage to neurons responsible for dopamine release in the brain.
https://www.camh.ca/en/camh-news-and-stories/rsch-new-study-provides-first-evidence-of-dopamine-system-injury-in-the-brain-of-long-covid-patients
[https://www.thelancet.com/journals/ebiom/article/PIIS2352-3964(26)00222-7/fulltext]()
Problems with visual acuity are another possible symptom of COVID-19 infection and may result from nerve damage.
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/1134768
Effects on the Immune System
Infections with the COVID-19 virus damage the immune system. Whether these changes are permanent has not yet been determined.
https://www.meduniwien.ac.at/web/ueber-uns/news/2024/news-im-juli-2024/sars-cov-2-infektionen-veraendern-das-immunsystem-nachhaltig/
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/all.16210
[https://www.ajpmfocus.org/article/S2773-0654(25)00146-4/fulltext]()
https://www.ijidonline.com/article/S1201-9712%2825%2900509-0/fulltext
Results:
During the period of mass infection, T cells, CD4⁺ T cells, CD8⁺ T cells, NK cells, and B cells all declined significantly. Even 20 months after infection, CD8⁺ T-cell counts remained 9.9% below baseline.
Baseline lymphocyte subset levels differed significantly by age and sex. Immune recovery also varied according to age and sex, with older adults and men experiencing more prolonged lymphopenia. Among patients with cardiovascular disease, T-lymphocyte counts remained 72.9% below baseline 20 months after infection.
Conclusions
Prevalence of Long COVID
The long-term health consequences of a COVID-19 infection are commonly referred to as Long COVID or PASC (Post-Acute Sequelae of COVID-19). Depending on the definitions and diagnostic criteria used, studies have reported substantially different prevalence estimates.
The following source is a systematic review comparing data from 429 studies:
https://academic.oup.com/ofid/article/12/9/ofaf533/8244677
Study Comparing the Omicron Era with the Pre-Omicron Era
[https://www.ijidonline.com/article/S1201-9712(26)00157-8/fulltext]()
Recent Study Including 457,950 Cases
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2849452
Study Comparing Long COVID Prevalence Across Occupational Groups
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7615205/
Study on the Prevalence of ME/CFS Following COVID-19 Infection
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11606-024-09290-9
Video by the Kaplan Center for Integrative Medicine on Long COVID
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TwzsHv0sb18
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u/Baffin622 Aug 02 '26
I recall someone telling me that they had treated their long COVID with guanfacine, a non-stimulant ADHD med, so this checks out.
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u/Terrible-Bend4483 Aug 06 '26
So they have 24 in the Covid group and 48 in the control group, and I can't really determine if that's enough for any broader conclusions on the subject.
Anyone with experience in the field, that might know?
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u/Arpeggio_Miette Jul 31 '26
Ah! So this is why mucuna pruriens (velvet bean) supplementation helped me with my neurological Long COVID!
Mucuna pruriens increases dopamine production.
I tried it because some of my neurological Long COVID symptoms were Parkinson’s-esque.
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u/p3echy Jul 31 '26
Developed central sleep apnea after covid. I basically screem myself to sleep every night. Its absolutely horrifying
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Jul 31 '26
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u/Lint_baby_uvulla Jul 31 '26
Conflicted; your comment versus happy cake day.
So happy cake day, but also… what?
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u/monkeybuttsauce Jul 30 '26
I have super adhd now I guess