Cognitive impairment due to severe COVID-19 equivalent to 20 years of aging, research results-ScienceDaily

Survey results published in the journal eClinicalMedicine, NIHRCOVID-19 BioResource emerges. The results of the study suggest that the effects are still detectable 6 months after the acute illness and that recovery is at best gradual.

There is increasing evidence that COVID-19 can cause persistent cognitive and mental health problems, and recovered patients have fatigue, “brain fog”, verbal recall problems, sleep disorders, anxiety, and more. Will report post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) months later infection. In the United Kingdom, a study found that one in seven people in the study reported symptoms, including cognitive impairment, 12 weeks after a positive COVID-19 test.

Even mild cases can cause persistent cognitive symptoms, but one-third to three-quarters of hospitalized patients report that they still suffer from cognitive symptoms after 3 to 6 months.

To investigate this link in more detail, researchers found 46 people who received in-hospital care in the ward or intensive care unit for COVID-19 at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, which is part of the NHS Foundation Trust at the University of Cambridge. We analyzed data from individuals. Sixteen patients wore mechanical ventilation during hospitalization. All patients were hospitalized between March and July 2020 and were enrolled in NIHRCOVID-19 BioResource.

Individuals underwent a detailed computerized cognitive test on average 6 months after acute illness using the Cognitron platform, which measures various aspects of mental abilities such as memory, attention, and reasoning. Scales for measuring anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorders were also evaluated. The data was compared with a matching control.

This is the first such rigorous assessment and comparison of severe COVID-19 sequelae.

Survivors of COVID-19 were less accurate and had slower response times than the corresponding control population. These defects were also detectable when the patient followed up after 6 months. The effect was strongest for those who needed a ventilator. By comparing patients with 66,008 members of the general public, researchers found that the magnitude of cognitive loss was similar to that lasting on average between the ages of 20 and 50-70, which lost 10 IQ. I presume that it corresponds to that. point.

Survivors scored particularly low on tasks such as verbal analogy, a finding that supports the commonly reported problem of difficulty finding words. They also showed slower processing speeds. This is consistent with previous post-COVID-19 observations of reduced cerebral glucose consumption within the frontal parietal network of the brain, which is involved in functions such as attention, complex problem solving, and working memory.

The lead author of the study, Professor David Menon of the Department of Anesthesiology at the University of Cambridge, said: The cognitive “fingerprint” of COVID-19 was different from all of these. “

People who have recovered from severe COVID-19 illness may exhibit a variety of mental health symptoms, including depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, decreased motivation, malaise, depression, and sleep disorders. Is now well established. -The team found that the severity of the acute illness was a good predictor of cognitive impairment.

Although patient scores and reaction times began to improve over time, researchers found that cognitive recovery was at best gradual, including the severity of the disease and its neurological or psychological consequences. He states that he is likely to be affected by the factors.

Professor Menon said: “We followed up within 10 months of the acute infection and saw a very slow improvement. This is not statistically significant, but at least in the right direction, but for these individuals. It is very likely that some will never be fully recovered. “

According to researchers, there are several factors that can cause cognitive impairment. Direct viral infections are possible, but unlikely to be the main cause. Instead, a combination of factors such as inadequate oxygen or blood supply to the brain, blockage of large or small blood vessels due to coagulation, and microscopic bleeding is likely to contribute. However, new evidence suggests that the most important mechanism may be the body’s own inflammatory response and damage caused by the immune system.

Although the study examined hospitalized cases, the team states that even patients who are not ill enough to be hospitalized may have obvious signs of mild disability.

The lead author of the study, Professor Adam Hampshire of the Department of Brain Science at Imperial College London, said: hospital. This means that many people still have cognitive problems after months. We need to urgently consider what we can do to help these people. “

Professor Menon and Professor Ed Bullmore of the Cambridge Psychiatric Department collaborate as part of the COVID-19 Clinical Neuroscience Research (COVID-CNS) aimed at identifying biomarkers associated with neuropathy as a result of COVID-19. It is a leading working group. And the changes in the neuroimaging associated with these.

This study was funded by NIHR BioResource, NIHR Cambridge Biomedical Research Center, and Addenbrooke’s Charitable Trust.