Neuroimaging insights into the psychosocial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic: a systematic review.

The COVID-19 pandemic has posed an unprecedented threat to global health. However, neural substrates underlying mental health vulnerabilities brought by the pandemic remain elusive. We conducted a systematic review relating structural and functional brain abnormalities to mental health issues associated with COVID-19 at brain regional and network levels. A literature search on neuroimaging studies of mental health problems derived by COVID-19 was conducted in the PubMed, Web of Science and MEDLINE databases. We identified 46 studies across various imaging techniques and found that COVID-19-related mental health problems were principally associated with brain structural and functional alterations in the prefrontal cortex, insula, cingulate, hippocampus, and amygdala, as well as the affective cortical network. This review may facilitate the targeted development of therapies tailored to the pandemic context and provide insights for proactive prevention against future collective stressors and traumas.