Long COVID patients exhibit swelling in an area of the brain linked to memory problems, poor concentration and delayed responses during conversations, researchers have found.

Based on high-powered scanning, Griffith University scientists say they have also shown patients with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) share similar issues in a part of the brain known as the hippocampus.

Because the shape of the hippocampus resembles that of a sea horse, the name is derived from the Greek words, hippos, meaning horse, and kampos, meaning sea monster.