TLC Sessions - Living with Long Covid Episode 70: Benjamin Abramoff, M.D. – Serotonin Depletion
Feb 9, 2024
Benjamin Abramoff, M.D., physiatrist and director of Penn’s Post COVID Assessment and Recovery Clinic, discusses research linking serotonin depletion to long COVID. He outlines how the finding was discovered, possible biological pathways behind serotonin loss, and implications for symptoms, treatments, and ongoing trials. The conversation highlights gut, immune, vagal, and antiviral angles.
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Penn Clinic's 2,000 Patient Long COVID Cohort
- The Penn clinic has evaluated about 2,000 long COVID patients and still accepts 10–15 new referrals weekly.
- Their caseload spans mild isolated smell loss to severely debilitated post-ICU patients, with most being previously mildly ill.
Most Improve But Full Recovery Is Uncommon
- Outcomes vary: ~5–10% remain refractory, ~5–10% recover fully, and most improve significantly but not to pre-COVID baseline.
- Earlier presentation (within six months) and isolated symptoms predict better full recovery.
Recruit Patients Early For Translational Studies
- Ask patients for research participation early and collect standardized blood samples and phenotypic data for translational studies.
- Abramoff activated basic science collaborations from clinic opening, with >95% of patients consenting.