The "brain fog" of long COVID might be due to impaired lung function following a person's infection, a new study says.

In patients with long COVID, lower pulmonary gas exchange may be associated with impaired cognitive function, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).

Lower rates of gas exchange in the lungs may contribute to impaired cognitive function ("brain fog") tied to long COVID, according to a small study to be presented at next week's Radiological Society of North America's (RSNA's) annual meeting in Chicago.

Study senior author Dr. Sean Fain said: “If these findings can be generalized to the long Covid population, the study suggests that there may be a causative relationship between cognitive dysfunction and lung dysfunction, suggesting a potential treatment strategy using methods that target improved gas exchange.”