Dr. Jeffrey Meyer
ON THE RECORD · 5 verbatim quotes · every quote source-verified
“These results indicate that long COVID is, at least in part, a disorder of the brain's dopamine system,”
Dr. Jeffrey Meyer · said date not stated · reported 2026-09-22
The PET imaging results suggest long COVID is partly a disorder of the brain's dopamine system.
“We know that inflammation can injure dopamine neurons. While our earlier research showed high levels of inflammation in those regions, this study provides direct evidence that the dopamine neuron marker is reduced in the same regions -- and that this loss correlates with patients' symptoms,”
Dr. Jeffrey Meyer · said date not stated · reported 2026-09-22
Earlier research by the same team showed unusually high brain inflammation in regions with dopamine-releasing neurons.
“This suggests that repurposing medications that augment the function of dopamine-releasing neurons, including dopamine precursors and inhibitors of dopamine metabolism, could be a promising approach.”
Dr. Jeffrey Meyer · said date not stated · reported 2026-09-22
Dr. Meyer suggests repurposing medications that augment dopamine-releasing neuron function as a treatment approach for long COVID.
“This kind of injury is well known to produce symptoms like lack of motivation and motor slowing, and may contribute to memory difficulties in other neurological conditions. Our results suggest a similar process is occurring in long COVID.”
Dr. Jeffrey Meyer · said date not stated · reported 2026-09-22
Dr. Meyer connects the observed dopamine neuron loss to symptoms such as lack of motivation, motor slowing, and memory difficulties.
“Our findings provide compelling evidence that long COVID involves the loss of dopamine-releasing neurons,”
Dr. Jeffrey Meyer · said date not stated · reported 2026-09-22
A brain imaging study found lower levels of a dopamine neuron marker in people with long COVID across the striatum.