{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,19]],"date-time":"2026-03-19T03:28:16Z","timestamp":1773890896907,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":41,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,2,17]],"date-time":"2025-02-17T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1739750400000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"Research to Prevent Blindness"},{"name":"Illinois Society to Prevent Blindness"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["J. Imaging"],"abstract":"<jats:p>The mechanism of post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 (PASC) is unknown. Using optical coherence tomography angiography (OCT-A), we compared retinal foveal avascular zone (FAZ), vessel density (VD), and vessel length density (VLD) in non-hospitalized Neuro-PASC patients with those in healthy controls in an effort to elucidate the mechanism underlying this debilitating condition. Neuro-PASC patients with a positive SARS-CoV-2 test and neurological symptoms lasting \u22656 weeks were included. Those with prior COVID-19 hospitalization were excluded. Subjects underwent OCT-A with segmentation of the full retinal slab into the superficial (SCP) and deep (DCP) capillary plexus. The FAZ was manually delineated on the full slab in ImageJ. An ImageJ macro was used to measure VD and VLD. OCT-A variables were analyzed using linear mixed-effects models with fixed effects for Neuro-PASC, age, and sex, and a random effect for patient to account for measurements from both eyes. The coefficient of Neuro-PASC status was used to determine statistical significance; p-values were adjusted using the Benjamani\u2013Hochberg procedure. Neuro-PASC patients (N = 30; 60 eyes) exhibited a statistically significant (p = 0.005) reduction in DCP VLD compared to healthy controls (N = 44; 80 eyes). The sole reduction in DCP VLD in Neuro-PASC may suggest preferential involvement of the smallest blood vessels.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/jimaging11020062","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,2,17]],"date-time":"2025-02-17T11:31:17Z","timestamp":1739791877000},"page":"62","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":6,"title":["Non-Hospitalized Long COVID Patients Exhibit Reduced Retinal Capillary Perfusion: A Prospective Cohort Study"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"11","author":[{"given":"Clayton E.","family":"Lyons","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Ophthalmology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-7722-9204","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jonathan","family":"Alhalel","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Ophthalmology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA"},{"name":"Department of Ophthalmology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, WI 53226, USA"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Anna","family":"Busza","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Ophthalmology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Emily","family":"Suen","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Ophthalmology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Nathan","family":"Gill","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Division of Biostatistics, Department of Preventive Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Nicole","family":"Decker","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Ophthalmology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Stephen","family":"Suchy","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Davee Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Zachary","family":"Orban","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Davee Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Millenia","family":"Jimenez","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Davee Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Gina","family":"Perez Giraldo","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Davee Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-6836-1468","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Igor J.","family":"Koralnik","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Davee Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-6933-9331","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Manjot K.","family":"Gill","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Ophthalmology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL 60611, USA"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,2,17]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"626","DOI":"10.1038\/s41591-021-01292-y","article-title":"Attributes and predictors of long COVID","volume":"27","author":"Sudre","year":"2021","journal-title":"Nat. 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