Slama Schwok, Anny · Medecine sciences : M/S · 2026 · DOI
This review examines the long-term neurological effects that some people experience after COVID-19 infection, affecting about 5% of patients. The symptoms include brain fog, chronic fatigue, anxiety, depression, and nerve inflammation, which significantly impact daily life. The authors examine the underlying biological mechanisms—such as brain inflammation, disrupted brain chemistry, immune dysfunction, and blood vessel problems—that may cause these symptoms to help guide future treatments.
Understanding the biological mechanisms driving post-COVID neurological symptoms is critical for developing targeted treatments, as these patients—many of working age with female predominance—experience substantial quality-of-life impairment. This work directly parallels ME/CFS research priorities, as post-COVID neurological sequelae share symptom overlap with ME/CFS, making mechanistic insights relevant to both conditions.
This is a literature review, not a primary research study, so it cannot prove any new biological findings itself—it synthesizes existing work. The review does not establish causation for any proposed mechanisms, only correlation and theoretical plausibility based on previously published studies. The abstract does not specify which studies were included or excluded, limiting assessment of the evidence base strength.
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
Slama Schwok, Anny (2026). [Post-COVID neurological sequelae, proposed mechanisms and therapeutic approaches].. Medecine sciences : M/S. https://doi.org/10.1051/medsci/2026036
BibTeX
@article{mecfsatlas-slama-schwok-2026-post-covid,
author = {Slama Schwok, Anny},
title = {[Post-COVID neurological sequelae, proposed mechanisms and therapeutic approaches].},
journal = {Medecine sciences : M/S},
year = {2026},
doi = {10.1051/medsci/2026036},
note = {PubMed: 41860269},
url = {https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/slama-schwok-2026-post-covid},
}Atlas snapshot reference
ME/CFS Atlas. Generator v1 / Scanner v1.4 / policy v0.1. Accessed 2026-05-29. https://www.mecfsatlas.com/evidence/slama-schwok-2026-post-covid
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