Almulla, Abbas F, Maes, Michael, Zhou, Bo et al. · Journal of advanced research · 2025 · DOI
This study found that people with Long COVID have unusual immune responses targeting the brain and nerve cells. Researchers measured antibodies (immune proteins) in people with Long COVID and healthy controls, discovering that Long COVID patients have significantly higher levels of antibodies attacking several brain proteins. These brain-targeted immune responses were strongly linked to fatigue severity and mood symptoms like depression and anxiety.
This research provides biological evidence that brain-targeted autoimmunity contributes to Long COVID and ME/CFS pathology, potentially validating patient experiences of cognitive and emotional symptoms as disease mechanisms rather than psychological. Identifying specific antibody signatures could lead to diagnostic biomarkers and targeted treatments for this disabling condition.
This study demonstrates association but cannot establish causation—elevated antibodies may be consequences rather than causes of Long COVID. The cross-sectional design prevents determination of whether these autoimmune responses precede, follow, or occur simultaneously with symptom onset. Results cannot yet be generalized to all ME/CFS populations, as this cohort was specifically Long COVID patients.
About the PEM badge: “PEM required” means post-exertional malaise was an explicit required diagnostic criterion for participant inclusion in this study — not that PEM was studied, observed, or discussed. Studies using criteria that do not require PEM (e.g. Fukuda, Oxford) are tagged “PEM not required”. How the atlas works →
The first block is for the primary paper and is the citation you should use in research work. The atlas-snapshot line only applies if you are specifically referring to this atlas’s reading of the paper on the date shown.
Primary citation
Almulla, Abbas F, Maes, Michael, Zhou, Bo, Al-Hakeim, Hussein K, & Vojdani, Aristo (2025). Brain-targeted autoimmunity is strongly associated with Long COVID and its chronic fatigue syndrome as well as its affective symptoms.. Journal of advanced research. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jare.2024.11.011
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-almulla-2025-brain-targeted,
author = {Almulla, Abbas F and Maes, Michael and Zhou, Bo and Al-Hakeim, Hussein K and Vojdani, Aristo},
title = {Brain-targeted autoimmunity is strongly associated with Long COVID and its chronic fatigue syndrome as well as its affective symptoms.},
journal = {Journal of advanced research},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.1016/j.jare.2024.11.011},
note = {PubMed: 39522688},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/almulla-2025-brain-targeted},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-30. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/almulla-2025-brain-targeted
Contribute
Private, reviewed by a human. Not a public comment thread.