#Global Process Automation

[anushapranu]

Global Process Automation Market is projected to reach the value of USD 142.98 billion by 2030.

Market Description: 

The Global Process Automation Market was valued at USD 109.40 billion and is projected to reach a market size of USD 142.98 billion by the end of 2030. Over the forecast period of 2025-2030, the market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 5.50%. 

➡️ 𝐃𝐨𝐰𝐧𝐥𝐨𝐚𝐝 𝐒𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞 :@ https://tinyurl.com/yc7j6zdj

One of the long-term market drivers for process automation is the continuous advancement in digital technologies. Over the last decade, technology has evolved significantly, and businesses are increasingly adopting automation tools to streamline their processes. Automation systems are powered by technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), robotic process automation (RPA), and the Internet of Things (IoT), which enable businesses to perform tasks faster and with greater accuracy. 

Digital transformation has become essential for companies that want to remain competitive in a rapidly changing marketplace. Automation allows businesses to reduce human error, optimize resource allocation, and improve decision-making. For example, AI-powered process automation tools can predict system failures and schedule maintenance, reducing downtime and increasing productivity. In the long run, companies that invest in automation will experience better operational efficiency, which is why this technological advancement will continue to drive the process automation market for years to come. 

The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on the process automation market. The global health crisis disrupted supply chains, caused labor shortages, and forced companies to adapt to new ways of working. The pandemic highlighted the vulnerabilities of manual, human-dependent processes and the need for more efficient, automated systems. 

During the pandemic, businesses realized the benefits of automation in ensuring business continuity while maintaining health and safety standards. Automation helped companies continue operations remotely, allowing workers to oversee processes from a distance. Industries such as manufacturing, healthcare, and logistics, which faced disruptions during the pandemic, turned to automation to minimize human contact and improve the resilience of their operations. As businesses recover from the pandemic, automation will remain a key focus to increase efficiency, mitigate risk, and ensure sustainability in a post-COVID world. 

In the short term, one of the primary drivers of the process automation market is the increased demand for operational efficiency. Companies are under pressure to streamline operations, reduce costs, and boost productivity, especially as businesses navigate the challenges of economic uncertainty and supply chain disruptions. Automation offers companies the ability to automate routine tasks, such as data entry, order processing, and inventory management, which allows employees to focus on more value-added activities. 

➡️ 𝐁𝐮𝐲 𝐍𝐨𝐰 :@ https://tinyurl.com/bdzmn5fk

The need for agility and faster response times has grown significantly, especially with the rise of e-commerce and customer expectations for quick delivery times. Process automation enables businesses to optimize workflows and reduce delays, which is critical in meeting customer demands. Companies that embrace automation to improve their operations will gain a competitive advantage by being able to offer better service while lowering operational costs. 

An exciting opportunity in the process automation market is the expansion of cloud-based automation solutions. Cloud computing allows businesses to access automation tools and platforms remotely, reducing the need for expensive on-premise infrastructure. This is particularly beneficial for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that may not have the resources to invest in large-scale automation systems. 

Cloud-based solutions also offer scalability, meaning businesses can easily increase or decrease their automation capabilities based on demand. The flexibility of cloud-based platforms allows companies to innovate and adopt new technologies without significant upfront costs. As cloud adoption continues to grow, it presents an excellent opportunity for vendors to introduce affordable and accessible automation solutions to a broader range of businesses, further driving market growth. 

A prominent trend in the process automation market is the increasing adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) technologies. These advanced technologies are being integrated into automation systems to improve decision-making, enhance predictive capabilities, and enable more complex automation processes. 

AI and ML help businesses analyze vast amounts of data in real time, which allows for smarter decision-making and optimized processes. For example, in manufacturing, AI-powered automation systems can predict when a machine is likely to fail, allowing for proactive maintenance before a breakdown occurs. In logistics, AI can optimize delivery routes and inventory management, ensuring faster deliveries and reducing operational costs. 

As AI and ML continue to advance, they will play a key role in the evolution of process automation, enabling companies to automate even more complex tasks. This trend will continue to gain momentum, as businesses realize the power of combining AI with automation to drive better outcomes. 

[datastring]

Batch Fluid Bed Dryers Market Set to Hit $1,593.7 Million by 2035

The global Batch Fluid Bed Dryers market is projected to experience significant growth, rising from $697.6 million in 2024 to $1,593.7 million by 2035. The market is expected to grow at an average annual rate of 10.3% from 2024 to 2035, driven by strong demand across pharmaceutical manufacturing, food processing, chemical processing, and plastics manufacturing industries.

Access detailed report insights here - https://datastringconsulting.com/industry-analysis/batch-fluid-bed-dryers-market-research-report

Key Applications Driving Market Growth

Batch Fluid Bed Dryers play a critical role in several industries due to their ability to provide consistent, efficient, and rapid drying. In the pharmaceutical industry, these dryers are essential for preserving the integrity of sensitive ingredients during the drying process, ensuring higher quality end products. Leading pharmaceutical companies such as Novartis and Pfizer rely on these dryers for their accuracy and reliability, securing a competitive edge in the market.

In the food processing sector, Batch Fluid Bed Dryers are used for their uniform drying capabilities. These dryers help preserve the nutritional value and extend the shelf life of food products. Companies like Nestlé and Kraft Heinz utilize these systems for drying fruits, vegetables, herbs, spices, and coffee beans, benefiting from superior heat transfer and moisture removal.

Technological Advancements and Market Innovation

Technological advancements have significantly impacted the Batch Fluid Bed Dryers market, particularly in pharmaceutical and food processing sectors. Modern fluid bed dryers now offer enhanced efficiency, reduced energy consumption, and improved output quality. These innovations enable superior drying uniformity, moisture removal, and particle size reduction, making them ideal for drying powders and granules.

The integration of automation into these systems has optimized the drying process, ensuring consistent quality output while reducing human error. As a result, the Batch Fluid Bed Dryers market has seen substantial growth, driving productivity improvements, reducing resource wastage, and lowering production costs, which in turn boosts profitability and sustainability.

Industry Leadership and Competitive Landscape

The Batch Fluid Bed Dryers market is highly competitive, with key players such as GEA Group AG, Andritz AG, Bühler Holding AG, Glatt GmbH, FLSmidth & Co. A/S, ThyssenKrupp AG, and SPX Flow Technology Danmark A/S leading the market. These companies are driving innovation by focusing on developing advanced solutions for fluid bed drying technology, customizable dryers, energy-efficient designs, and automation to improve performance and reduce operational costs.

The market’s growth is supported by shifting trends in pharmaceutical manufacturing, the expansion of chemical industries, and continuous technological advancements in fluid bed drying systems. As demand for efficient and precise drying solutions continues to rise, industry players are positioned to capitalize on significant growth opportunities.

Regional Analysis and Market Dynamics

North America remains a dominant player in the Batch Fluid Bed Dryers market, driven by robust industrial growth and technological advancements in drying systems. The pharmaceutical and food processing sectors, in particular, offer substantial opportunities due to their ongoing demand for high-efficiency drying solutions.

Key drivers in the region include stringent regulatory standards focused on quality and safety in production, along with a growing preference for sustainable and energy-efficient equipment. Europe and China are also strong contributors to market growth, with significant demand from local industries and manufacturers focusing on improving productivity and sustainability.

As these regions continue to expand, emerging markets in India, Brazil, and South Africa are expected to become increasingly important, offering new revenue opportunities for manufacturers seeking to diversify their portfolios and expand their total addressable market (TAM).

About DataString Consulting

DataString Consulting offers a comprehensive suite of market research and business intelligence solutions for both B2C and B2B markets. Specializing in bespoke research projects, the firm helps businesses achieve their strategic objectives, whether it’s expanding into new markets, increasing revenue, or addressing industry challenges.

With over 30 years of combined experience, DataString’s leadership team is well-versed in market & business research and strategy advisory across diverse sectors globally. Their expert consultants track high-growth segments within more than 15 industries and 60 sub-industries, providing actionable insights and data-driven strategies to help businesses thrive in competitive markets.

[sudiptaam]

Bakery Processing Equipment Market Global Market Size 2025–2035

Market Overview

The Bakery Processing Equipment Market was valued at USD 14.75 Billion in 2024 and is projected to reach USD 29.8 Billion by 2035, growing at a CAGR of 6.6% between 2025 and 2035. This market includes equipment like mixers, ovens, proofers, slicers, depositors, and packaging machines essential for producing baked goods such as bread, cakes, cookies, and pastries. Request Sample- https://www.metatechinsights.com/request-sample/1795

Market Drivers

Urbanization & Consumer Preferences: Increased demand for baked items driven by urban lifestyles and changing food habits.

Health-Conscious Trends: Rising demand for gluten-free, organic, and healthy baked goods pushes innovation in baking technology.

Automation & Innovation: Advanced, automated equipment ensures efficiency, consistent quality, and reduced operational costs.

Emerging Markets: Rapid expansion of bakery chains in regions like Asia-Pacific creates demand for high-capacity, automated machinery.

Full Report- https://www.metatechinsights.com/industry-insights/bakery-processing-equipment-market-1795

Market Restraint

High Initial Investment: Cost barriers for small-scale or start-up bakeries limit their ability to invest in modern, automated equipment.

Market Opportunity

Specialized Equipment: Rising interest in health-conscious baked items boosts demand for gluten-free and organic-friendly machinery.

Cold Chain Solutions: Increased demand for frozen bakery products fuels the need for cold-chain-compatible baking systems.

Segmental Analysis

By Equipment Type

Mixers – Crucial for uniform ingredient blending.

Ovens & Proofers – Aid in baking and fermentation, ideal for artisanal breads.

Dividers & Sheeters – Enhance dough shaping efficiency.

Molders – Essential for standardizing shapes.

Slicers & Packaging – Meet consumer demand for ready-to-eat and pre-packaged options.

By Application

Bread Processing – Dominates due to high global consumption.

Cakes & Pastries – Gaining traction with growing demand for premium, indulgent bakery items.

Cookies & Biscuits – Growing demand for portable, snackable baked goods.

Pizza Crust Processing – One of the fastest-expanding segments worldwide.

Regional Overview

North America

Dominant due to a mature bakery industry and constant demand for frozen and healthy baked goods.

Innovations include AI-integrated mixers and energy-efficient ovens.

Asia-Pacific

Rapidly expanding due to urbanization, rising disposable incomes, and shifting dietary habits.

Countries like India and China lead the frozen bakery sector.

Buy Now- https://www.metatechinsights.com/checkout/1795

Competitive Landscape

Top players include: GEA Group, Ali Group, Heat and Control, John Bean Technologies (JBT), Baker Perkins, among others.

GEA innovates in mixing/baking systems.

Ali Group develops energy-efficient baking systems.

JBT launches holistic bakery lines.

Heat and Control emphasizes automation in mass production.

Recent Developments

Dec 2024: UN WFP donated $870,000 worth of equipment to Ukrainian bakeries near the frontlines.

Nov 2024: Monomoy Capital Partners acquired Oliver Packaging and Equipment, enhancing its portfolio in the food processing sector.

[mobiloittetechblogs]

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[antonyshelton]

Build the Future of Gaming with Crypto Casino Development Solutions

[globalautomationltd]

Top Benefits of Investing in High-Quality Supermarket and Kitchen Equipment | Global Automation Ltd

Discover the advantages of investing in premium supermarket and kitchen equipment from Global Automation Ltd. Enhance operational efficiency, ensure durability, and improve customer satisfaction with our top-tier products designed for long-term success in the food industry.

[chandupalle]

The global process automation and instrumentation market size is projected to reach USD 86.6 billion by 2027, at a CAGR of 5.5% during the forecast period.

[txttletale]

are there any critiques of AI art or maybe AI in general that you would agree with?

AI art makes it a lot easier to make bad art on a mass production scale which absolutely floods art platforms (sucks). LLMs make it a lot easier to make content slop on a mass production scale which absolutely floods search results (sucks and with much worse consequences). both will be integrated into production pipelines in ways that put people out of jobs or justify lower pay for existing jobs. most AI-produced stuff is bad. the loudest and most emphatic boosters of this shit are soulless venture capital guys with an obvious and profound disdain for the concept of art or creative expression. the current wave of hype around it means that machine learning is being incorporated into workflows and places where it provides no benefit and in fact makes services and production meaningfully worse. it is genuinely terrifying to see people looking to chatGPT for personal and professional advice. the process of training AIs and labelling datasets involves profound exploitation of workers in the global south. the ability of AI tech to automate biases while erasing accountability is chilling. seems unwise to put a lot of our technological eggs in a completely opaque black box basket (mixing my metaphors ab it with that one). bing ai wont let me generate 'tesla CEO meat mistake' because it hates fun

[empty-movement]

Welcome to Something Eternal: A Website Forum in 2023 wtf lmao

It's 2023, and a single belligerent rich guy destroyed one of the primary focal points of uh...global communication. Tumblr is, shockingly, kinda thriving despite the abuse it gets from its owners, but that I will call the iconic refusal of Tumblr users to let Tumblr get in the way of their using Tumblr. Reddit killed its API, removing the functionality of mobile apps that made it remotely readable (rip rif.) Discord, our current primary hangout, has made countless strange choices lately that indicate it has reached the summit of its usability and functionality, and can only decline from here as changes get made to prepare for shareholders. (NOTE: WROTE THIS POST BEFORE THEIR MOBILE "REDESIGN" LMAO)

The enshittification is intense, and it's coming from every direction. Social media platforms that felt like permanent institutions are instead slowly going to let fall fallow incredible amounts of history, works of art, thought, and fandoms. It kinda sucks!

A couple years ago, I posted about a new plan with a new domain, to focus on the archiving of media content, as I saw that to be the fatal weakness of the current ways the internet and fandoms work. Much has happened since to convince me to alter the direction of those efforts, though not abandon them entirely.

Long story short? We are launching a fucking website forum. In 2023.

If you remember In the Rose Garden, much about Something Eternal will be familiar. But this has been a year in the making, and in many ways it's far more ambitious than IRG was. We have put money on this. The forum is running on the same software major IT and technology businesses use, because I don't want the software to age out of usability within five years. It has an attached gallery system for me to post content to, including the Chiho Saito art collection. It has a profile post system that everyone already on the forum has decided is kinda like mini Twitter? But it is, fundamentally, a website forum, owned and run and moderated by us. We are not web devs. But we have run a website on pure spite and headbutting code for over twenty years, and we have over a decade of experience maintaining social spaces online, both on the OG forum, and on our Discord. Better skilled people with far more time than we have can and will build incredible alternatives to what is collapsing around us. But they're not in the room right now. We are. And you know what? Maybe it's time to return to a clunkier, slower moving, more conversation focused platform.

You're not joining a social media platform with the full polish of dozens of devs and automated moderation. Things might break, and I might need time to fix them. The emojis and such are still a work in progress. Because e-mails no longer route in reasonable normal ways, the sign-up process instead happens within the software, and has to be approved by mods. Design and structure elements may change. Etc. The point being, that the forum isn't finished, but it is at a place where I feel like I can present it to people, and it's people I need to help direct what functions and things will be in this space. You all will shape its norms, its traditions, its options...choices I could try to make now, but really...they're for us to create as a group! But the important stuff? That's there. Now let's drive this baby off the damn lot already!

Come! Join us!!

PS. As always, TERFs and Nazis need not apply.

[datastring]

Propeller and Impeller Mixers Market Set to Reach $1,836.7 Million by 2035 Amid Industrial Expansion

The global Propeller and Impeller Mixers market is on track to grow significantly, with projected revenues increasing from $663.4 million in 2024 to $1,836.7 million by 2035, reflecting an average annual growth rate of 9.7%. This growth is driven by rising demand in critical application areas such as chemical mixing, food processing, wastewater treatment, and oil dispersion, which rely heavily on efficient and reliable mixing technologies.

Detailed Analysis - https://datastringconsulting.com/industry-analysis/propeller-and-impeller-mixers-market-research-report

Key Drivers and Application Areas

Propeller and impeller mixers serve as essential equipment across a diverse range of industries. In chemical processing, these mixers help ensure homogeneity and facilitate complex reactions. The food and beverage sector uses them for consistent texture and quality during blending. In wastewater treatment, they play a pivotal role in sludge mixing and aeration, while in oil and energy applications, they are critical for dispersion and emulsification processes.

As these industries scale production and embrace process automation, the need for technologically advanced mixers is set to grow rapidly. Customization, energy efficiency, and process adaptability are becoming top priorities in product development.

Competitive Landscape and Strategic Direction

The Propeller and Impeller Mixers market is defined by strong competition among prominent manufacturers. Industry leaders such as Sulzer Ltd, Philadelphia Mixing Solutions, Lightnin Mixers (SPX Flow), ProQuip Inc., Silverson Machines Ltd, Xylem Inc., Mixel Company, Chemineer Inc. (NOV Inc.), Alfa Laval, KSB, Brawn Mixer Inc., and Jongia NV are actively investing in innovation to maintain their market edge.

These companies are advancing mixer designs through improved blade geometry, material enhancements, and integration of digital controls. They are also exploring strategic partnerships, acquisitions, and regional expansions to broaden their customer base and access new revenue streams.

Global Expansion and Regional Shifts

North America and Europe continue to lead in market activity due to their mature industrial bases and high investment in process optimization. However, these regions face challenges such as high capital expenditure and evolving regulatory demands, prompting firms to seek growth in emerging markets.

Countries like India, Brazil, and South Africa are gaining attention as next-generation demand hubs. Rising industrial activity, particularly in chemical production and food processing, coupled with improving infrastructure, makes these regions ideal for market entry and expansion.

Evolving Supply Chains and Technological Complexity

The supply chain for Propeller and Impeller Mixers—from raw material sourcing to product design, manufacturing, and distribution—is undergoing transformation. This evolution is being driven by the need for customized solutions, digital integration, and sustainable manufacturing practices. As the market matures, companies are expected to invest in smarter production capabilities, modular mixer designs, and global logistics networks to meet demand efficiently and sustainably.

About DataString Consulting

DataString Consulting delivers comprehensive market research and strategic intelligence services tailored to meet the specific needs of businesses across B2B and B2C domains. With over 30 years of combined industry experience, the firm provides data-driven strategies for TAM expansion, market entry, and revenue diversification. Its unique approach filters market noise into actionable insights, helping clients reduce go-to-market time and unlock high-growth opportunities.

DataString tracks more than 15 major industries and 60 sub-sectors, ensuring continuous coverage of emerging trends and competitive dynamics. Whether you're targeting a niche market or expanding globally, DataString provides the intelligence needed to succeed.

[remotejobsearchtips]

Remote Jobs: The Remote Job Search Hack You’ve Never Heard Of

Remote Job Search Hacks: Ever since the pandemic, remote work has shifted from a niche perk to a global standard. Millions of professionals have either transitioned to working from home or started actively searching for remote opportunities. But here's the truth: finding a legitimate remote job isn't always easy. With endless applications, no responses, and intense competition, the process can quickly become overwhelming. So, is there a smarter and faster way to land a remote role?

In this article, we're sharing a powerful remote job search hack that most people have never heard of, and it's changing the game for job seekers around the world.

Get Hired Remotely Without Even Applying

A Reddit user recently shared a unique strategy that helped them receive multiple remote job offers, and it quickly gained traction across the platform. Instead of applying to individual job listings one by one, they sent their resume directly to hundreds of recruitment agencies and headhunting firms around the world. The idea was simple: let the recruiters come to you.

Soon after, recruiters began reaching out with roles that matched the user's skills and job title. By the end of the process, they had received several remote job offers without going through the usual grind of endless applications. After the post gained popularity, many others tried the same method and reported similar results over time. You can check the full Reddit post here: https://www.reddit.com/r/RemoteJobseekers/comments/1fdpeg2/how_i_landed_multiple_remote_job_offers_my_remote/

When using this strategy of sending your resume to recruitment firms, you have two options: do it manually or use an automated system. Some people prefer the manual approach, while others take advantage of the Rabbit Resume Builder's Boost feature, which automatically sends your resume to over 300 recruitment agencies with just one click. This feature makes it easy for recruiters to find and contact you quickly, helping you get your resume in front of the right people faster, so you can start receiving offers sooner.

That said, if you choose to send your resume manually, we strongly recommend ensuring it’s ATS-friendly. Automated systems will scan your resume before it reaches a recruiter’s database. Without this, your resume may not make it past the initial screening, and you could miss out on valuable opportunities.

If you’re using RabbitResume to create your resume, you won’t have to worry about ATS compatibility. That’s because not only will you be using ATS-friendly resume templates, but the platform also includes an ATS-Hack feature. This feature scans sections of your resume, like skills, work experience, and job titles, and, with the help of AI, generates relevant keywords. These keywords are then added invisibly to your resume. This ensures that your resume ranks higher in ATS scans, increasing your chances of being noticed by recruiters.

By embracing this innovative approach, you can streamline your remote job search, enhance your visibility, and accelerate your journey to landing the perfect remote role.

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Brian Barrett at Wired (02.27.2025):

If you’ve felt overwhelmed by all the DOGE news, you’re not alone. You’d need too much cork board and yarn to keep track of which agencies it has occupied by now, much less what it’s doing there. Here’s a simple rubric, though, to help contextualize the DOGE updates you do have time and energy to process: It’s worse than you think. DOGE is hard to keep track of. This is by design; the only information about the group outside of its own mistake-ridden ledger of “savings” comes from media reports. So much for being “maximally transparent,” as Elon Musk has promised. The blurriness is also partly a function of the speed and breadth with which DOGE has operated. Keeping track of the destruction is like counting individual bricks scattered around a demolition site.

You may be aware, for instance, that a 19-year-old who goes by “Big Balls” online plays some role in all this. Seems bad. But you may have missed that Edward Coristine has since been installed at the nation’s top cybersecurity agency. And the State Department and the Small Business Administration. And he has a Department of Homeland Security email address and, by the way, also had a recent side gig selling AI Discord bots to Russians. See? Worse than you think. [...] Similarly, you’ve likely heard that the United States Agency for International Development has been gutted and the��Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has been put on ice. All true, all bad. But here’s what that means in practice: Fewer people globally have access to vaccines than they did a month ago. More babies are being born with HIV/AIDS. From here on out, anyone who gets ripped off by payday loan companies—or, say, social media platforms moonlighting as payments services—has lost their most capable defender. Keep going. The thousands of so-called probationary employees DOGE has fired included a significant number of experienced workers who had just been promoted or transferred. National Science Foundation staffing cuts and proposed National Institutes of Health grant limits will combine to kneecap scientific research in the United States for a generation. Terminations at the US Department of Agriculture have sent programs designed to help farmers into disarray. On Wednesday, the Food and Drug Administration canceled a meeting that would have given guidance on this year’s flu vaccine composition. It hasn’t been rescheduled.

Don’t care about science or vaccines? The Social Security Administration is reportedly going to cut its staff in half. The Department of Housing and Urban Development is going to be cut by as much as 84 percent. Hundreds of workers who keep the power grid humming in the Pacific Northwest were fired before a scramble to rehire a few of them. The National Parks Service, the Internal Revenue Service, all hit hard. So don’t make any long-term bets on getting your checks on time, keeping your lights on, buying a home for the first time, or enjoying Yosemite. Don’t assume all the things that work now will still work tomorrow.

Speaking of which, let’s not forget that DOGE has fired people working to prevent bird flu and to safeguard the US nuclear arsenal. (The problem with throwing a chainsaw around is that you don’t make clean cuts.) The agencies in question have reportedly tried to hire those workers back. Fine. But even if they’re able to, the long-term question that hasn’t been answered yet is, Who would stay? Who would work under a regime so cocksure and incompetent that it would mistakenly fire the only handful of people who actually know how to take care of the nukes? According to a recent report from The Bulwark, that brain drain is already underway. And this is all before the real reductions in force begin, mass purges of civil servants that will soon be conducted, it seems, with an assist from DOGE-modified, automated software. The US government is about to lose decades of institutional knowledge across who knows how many agencies, including specialists that aren’t readily replaced by loyalists.

Wired has a solid article on how bad the DOGE-ificiation of government has gotten.

[covid-safer-hotties]

Also preserved on our archive

Whenever you hear someone trying to blame kid's poor test scores "post pandemic" on "lockdowns," show them this.

By Dr. Sushama R. Chaphalkar, PhD.

New research shows that mild COVID-19 alters brain structure and connectivity in key areas responsible for memory and cognition, emphasizing the lasting effects on young people’s brain health.

In a case-control study published in the journal Translational Psychiatry, researchers used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and cognitive tests to examine brain structure, function, and cognition in adolescents and young adults with mild coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) compared to healthy controls in a pandemic hotspot in Italy. They identified significant changes in brain regions related to olfaction and cognition, with decreased brain volume and reduced functional connectivity in areas like the left hippocampus and amygdala, which were linked to impaired spatial working memory. Notably, no significant differences were observed in whole-brain connectivity, suggesting that these changes were localized rather than widespread.

Background COVID-19, primarily known for respiratory symptoms, also affects the central nervous system, leading to neurological issues like headaches, anosmia, and cognitive changes. MRI-based studies reveal anatomical brain changes in COVID-19 patients, such as reduced gray matter and decreased volume in regions like the hippocampus and amygdala, often linked to cognitive deficits.

While research mostly focuses on severe cases and older adults, a majority of infections with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of COVID-19, occur in adolescents and young adults who also experience long-lasting cognitive symptoms.

This age group, undergoing key brain development, is impacted by changes in spatial working memory and brain structure, which are crucial for cognitive functions shaped by social interactions, significantly disrupted by the pandemic.

Given that this is the largest and most understudied population affected by COVID-19, understanding the brain and cognitive impacts in adolescents and young adults is vital.

Therefore, researchers in the present study compared anatomical, functional, and cognitive outcomes, utilizing a longitudinal design that allowed them to assess both pre- and post-infection differences, in COVID-19-positive and negative adolescents and young adults from Lombardy, Italy, a global hotspot during the pandemic.

About the study The present study involved participants from the Public Health Impact of Metal Exposure (PHIME) cohort, a longitudinal investigation of adolescents and young adults in northern Italy. Between 2016 and 2021, 207 participants, aged 13 to 25 years, were included in a sub-study with MRI scans and cognitive tests. After COVID-19 restrictions were lifted, 40 participants (13 COVID+ and 27 COVID−) participated in a follow-up study, which replicated the MRI and cognitive assessments.

The mean age of participants was 20.44 years and 65% were female. COVID+ status was confirmed through positive reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) tests within 12 months of follow-up. Neuropsychological assessments used the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery (CANTAB) to evaluate spatial working memory.

MRI and functional MRI data were acquired using a 3-Tesla scanner, processed, and analyzed for structural and local functional connectivity using eigenvector centrality mapping (ECM) and functional connectivity (FC) metrics. Whole-brain functional connectivity metrics showed no significant differences between COVID+ and control groups, indicating that the observed changes were specific to key brain regions rather than generalized across the entire brain.

Statistical analysis involved the use of pairwise Student's t-tests, Kolmogorov–Smirnov test, linear regression, two-waves mediation analysis, negative binomial regression, and linear regression, all adjusted for covariates.

Results and discussion Significant differences were observed in the two groups regarding the time between assessments, COVID-19 symptoms, and vaccine status. The research identified five localized functional connectivity hubs with significant differences between the two groups, including the right intracalcarine cortex, right lingual gyrus, left frontal orbital cortex, left hippocampus and left amygdala, which is vital for cognitive functions. Only the left hippocampal volume showed a significant reduction in COVID+ participants (p = 0.034), while whole-brain connectivity remained unchanged, reinforcing the localized nature of the brain changes.

The left amygdala mediated the relationship between COVID-19 and spatial working memory "between errors" (p = 0.028), a critical finding that highlights the indirect effect of amygdala connectivity on cognitive function in COVID+ individuals. This mediation analysis underscores the role of specific brain regions in influencing cognitive deficits, as only the indirect effect was statistically significant for spatial working memory errors. The orbitofrontal cortex, involved in sensory integration and cognitive functions, also showed decreased connectivity in COVID+ individuals, supporting previous findings of structural and functional changes in this region during COVID-19.

The study is limited by small sample size, lack of diversity, potential confounding factors due to the long interval between MRI scans, treatment of certain subjects as COVID-negative based on antibody testing beyond the 12-month threshold, and the possibility of non-significant findings in mediation analysis due to these factors.

Conclusion In conclusion, the findings indicate persistent structural and functional alterations in specific brain regions of COVID-19-positive adolescents and young adults, including changes in gray matter volume and localized functional connectivity, which correlate with diminished cognitive function, particularly in working memory.

Further research is necessary to evaluate the longevity and potential reversibility of these brain and cognitive changes post-infection, enhancing our understanding of post-COVID outcomes and informing future interventions and treatments. The longitudinal design of this study, with pre- and post-COVID data, strengthens these findings by allowing direct comparisons over time, offering robust insights into the impact of COVID-19 on adolescent brain development.

Journal reference: COVID-19 related cognitive, structural and functional brain changes among Italian adolescents and young adults: a multimodal longitudinal case-control study. Invernizzi, A. et al., Translational Psychiatry, 14, 402 (2024), DOI: 10.1038/s41398-024-03108-2, www.nature.com/articles/s41398-024-03108-2