Why Long COVID makes people feel physically tired
Official title: Neural Mechanisms of Fatigue in Post-Acute Sequela of SARS-CoV-2
Funded at Hugo W. Moser Res Inst Kennedy Krieger · NIH-11241094 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at whether people with Long COVID have leakier blood vessels in the brain that make physical effort feel harder.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Hugo W. Moser Res Inst Kennedy Krieger NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Baltimore, United States) |
| Project start | January 1, 2025 |
| Project end | December 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $628,703 |
| NIH project number | 5R01NS140610-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11241094 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults who had COVID-19 and still experience ongoing physical fatigue after the acute illness would be ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People without a history of COVID, those without ongoing fatigue, or individuals who cannot undergo MRI scans (for example due to implanted metal or severe claustrophobia) are unlikely to benefit directly from participation.
What this research studies
If you join, researchers will compare people with ongoing fatigue after COVID to people without COVID using brain scans, blood tests, and effort-based computer tasks. They'll measure signs of blood-brain barrier leakiness and brain activity while you do tasks that require physical effort. The team will combine the brain images, blood measures, and behavior using computer models to understand how biological changes might make effort feel more tiring. The work aims to connect measurable brain changes to the everyday experience of fatigue in Long COVID.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could explain why Long COVID causes fatigue and point to new targets for treatments or tests.
How similar studies have gone: Related research has linked neuroinflammation and blood-brain barrier problems to fatigue in other neurological conditions, but applying these approaches specifically to Long COVID is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
Hugo W. Moser Res Inst Kennedy Krieger
Baltimore, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Chib, Vikram S — Hugo W. Moser Res Inst Kennedy Krieger
- Study coordinator: Chib, Vikram S
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.