Long COVID and Parkinson’s Disease: A Telecommunication-Based Brain-Network Comparison

Emerging evidence suggests a potential link between Long COVID and neurological disorders, including Parkinson’s Disease (PD). This study explores brain-network alterations in Long COVID and PD patients through a novel telecommunication-based brain model. Borrowing language and methods from telecommunications, we build a novel theoretical channel model for the brain network. By examining functional and structural brain connectivity through the proposed channel model, we aim to identify overlapping and distinct patterns of brain network disruption. Hence, considering real data, we compute the network alterations occurring in patients affected by Long COVID and PD, comparing them with healthy controls. The comparison reveals common alterations in regions associated with dopamine alterations, and differences for memory and shape recognition. Our findings highlight potential shared pathways between Long COVID and PD, contributing to a deeper understanding of how viral infections may influence neurodegenerative processes and offering insights for targeted interventions.