A small study from the U.S . National Institutes of Health says the immune response caused by COVID-19 infection may damage the brain's blood vessels .
美國國家衛生研究院的一項小型研究稱，新冠病毒感染引起的免疫反應可能會損害大腦的血管。
The reaction could lead to neurological problems known as long COVID .
這種反應可能導致被稱為「長新冠」的神經系統問題。
In the study , researchers examined brain changes in nine people who died suddenly after being infected with SARS-CoV-2 , the virus that causes COVID-19 .
在這項研究中，研究人員檢查了九名感染新冠病毒SARS-CoV-2後突然死亡者的大腦變化。
The results appeared last week in the publication Brain .
研究結果上週發表在期刊《大腦》上。
This causes inflammation and damage .
這會導致發炎和損傷。
The results were similar to an earlier study done in 2020 .
結果與2020年進行的一項早期研究相似。
This suggests the virus was not attacking the brain directly .
這顯示病毒並沒有直接攻擊大腦。
NIH scientist Avindra Nath is the senior researcher of the study .
美國國家衛生研究院科學家阿文德拉·納斯是這項研究的資深研究員。
He said , “We had previously shown blood vessel damage and inflammation in patients ’ brains at autopsy , but we didn't understand the cause of the damage .”
他說：「我們之前在驗屍中發現了患者大腦中的血管損傷和發炎，但我們並不了解造成損傷的原因。」
An autopsy is the examination of a dead body to find out the cause of death .
驗屍是對遺體進行檢查以查明死因。
For the study , Dr . Nath and a team of researchers examined brain tissue from nine individuals between the ages of 24 and 73 .
為了這項研究，納斯博士和研究團隊檢查了九名年齡在24歲至73歲之間者的腦組織。
The individuals were chosen because their scans showed signs of blood vessel damage in the brain .
之所以選擇這些人，是因為他們的掃描結果顯示出腦血管受損的跡象。
The scans were then compared to those from 10 individuals in a control group .
隨後，這些掃描結果與對照組中10人的掃描結果進行了比較。
The researchers found that antibodies produced to fight COVID-19 may mistakenly target cells that line the brain's blood vessels .
研究人員發現，為對抗新冠病毒而產生的抗體可能會錯誤地攻擊腦血管內壁的細胞。
These cells , called endothelial cells , serve as barriers to keep harmful substances from reaching the brain .
這些細胞稱為內皮細胞，起著屏障作用，防止有害物質進入大腦。
Damage to the cells causes bleeding and blockage in some COVID-19 patients and increases the risk of stroke .
這些細胞受損會導致一些新冠患者出血和血管堵塞，並增加中風的風險。
As in their earlier study , researchers found signs of leaky blood vessels .
與之前的研究一樣，研究人員發現了血管滲漏的跡象。
This suggests that the links between endothelial cells in the blood-brain barrier were damaged .
這顯示血腦屏障中內皮細胞之間的連接受到了損傷。
Dr . Nath said that once the leaks happened , immune cells “may come to repair the damage , setting up inflammation ” in the brain .
納斯博士說，一旦發生滲漏，免疫細胞「可能會前來修復損傷，從而在大腦中引發發炎」。
Researchers also found changes in gene expression in areas with damage to the endothelial cells .
研究人員還在內皮細胞受損的區域發現了基因表現的變化。
More than 300 genes showed decreased expression , while six genes showed increased expression .
300多個基因的表現降低，而六個基因的表現升高。
The affected genes are connected to the brain's ability to deal with chemical imbalances in the body .
受影響的基因與大腦應對體內化學失衡的能力有關。
Together , these findings may provide information about the cause of neurological problems related to COVID-19 .
綜合來看，這些發現可能有助於揭示與新冠相關的神經系統問題的成因。
The findings may also be used to find new treatments to target the damaged links between the endothelial cells in the blood-brain barrier .
這些發現還可用於尋找新的療法，針對血腦屏障中內皮細胞之間受損的連接。
The study may also help with understanding and treating long-term neurological conditions after COVID-19 .
這項研究還可能有助於理解和治療新冠後的長期神經系統疾病。
The conditions include headache , tiredness , loss of taste and smell , sleep problems , and forgetfulness known as “brain fog .”
這些疾病包括頭痛、疲倦、味覺和嗅覺喪失、睡眠問題以及被稱為「腦霧」的健忘。
If the nine patients in the study had survived , the researchers believe they would have likely developed long COVID .
研究人員認為，如果研究中的九名患者倖存下來，他們很可能會患上長新冠。
“It is quite possible that this same immune response persists in long COVID patients ,” Dr . Nath said .
「這種免疫反應很有可能在長新冠患者體內持續存在。」納斯博士說。
The findings , he added , are “very important ” to researchers seeking to find treatments for long COVID .
他補充說，這些發現對尋找長新冠療法的研究人員來說「非常重要」。