Permanent loss of smell due to COVID-19 may be a better predictor of long-term cognitive impairment

Multiple studies presented today at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference reveal new insights into factors that may predict, increase or protect memory and thinking skills from COVID-19 and the pandemic .^® (AAIC)^®) in San Diego in 2022, virtually.

Key findings reported at AAIC 2022 include:

• A group from Argentina found that persistent loss of the sense of smell may be a better predictor of long-term cognitive and functional impairment than early COVID-19 disease severity.
• A study from the Rush Alzheimer’s Center in Chicago found that admission to an intensive care unit was associated with twice the risk of dementia in older adults.
• During the pandemic, women’s gender, unemployment, and lower socioeconomic status were associated with more cognitive symptoms in a large study population drawn from nine Latin American countries. I got
• In the same Latin American population, experiencing positive life changes (such as spending more quality time with friends and family, or spending more time in nature) during the pandemic was associated with a greater impact on memory and thinking skills during the pandemic. reduced the adverse effects of

“COVID-19 has sickened and killed millions of people around the world. For some people, new research suggests it also has long-term effects on memory and thinking.” ,” said Heather M. Snyder, Ph.D., vice president. Medical and Scientific Relations at Alzheimer’s Association. “This virus is likely to stay with us for a long time, so identifying risk and protective factors for cognitive symptoms will help treat and prevent the ‘long COVID’ moving forward. ”

Persistent loss of smell is a better predictor of cognitive impairment than COVID-19 severity
Argentinian researchers working with the Alzheimer’s Association Consortium on Chronic Neuropsychiatric Consequences of SARS-CoV-2 Infection followed 766 adults aged 55 to 95 who were exposed to COVID-19 for one year. underwent regular physical, cognitive, and neuropsychiatric examinations. Of the study group, 88.4% were infected and 11.6% were controls.

Clinical evaluation showed functional memory impairment in two-thirds of infected participants, half of whom were severe. In another group of cognitive tests, he identified three groups that underperformed.

• 11.7% showed memory-only deficits.
• 8.3% had impairments in attention and executive function.
• 11.6% showed multidomain (including memory, learning, attention and executive function) deficits.

Statistical analysis revealed that persistent loss of the sense of smell was a significant predictor of cognitive impairment, whereas the severity of initial COVID-19 illness was not.

The more we gain insight into the causes of COVID-19 infection, or at least predict who will experience the significant long-term cognitive effects of COVID-19 infection, the more we can develop ways to track it and prevent it. you can start. ”

Gabriela Gonzalez-Aleman, LCP, Ph.D., Professor, Catholic University of Argentina, Buenos Aires

A stay in an intensive care unit may indicate a higher risk of dementia

Researchers at the Rush Alzheimer’s Disease Center (RADC), part of the Rush University System for Health in Chicago, used data from five diverse studies of older adults without dementia (n=3,822). , observed admission to the intensive care unit (ICU). ICU admission has previously been associated with cognitive impairment in older patients, but few studies have examined whether it increases the risk of dementia.

They reviewed Medicare billing records from 1991 to 2018 (pre-pandemic) and checked annually for incidence of Alzheimer’s disease and all types of dementia using standardized cognitive assessments. During a mean follow-up period of 7.8 years, 1,991 (52%) participants had at least one ICU admission to him. 1,031 (27%) stayed in his ICU prior to study enrollment. 961 (25%) of them stayed in ICU during the study period.

In an analysis that adjusted for age, sex, education, and race, the researchers found a 63% higher risk of Alzheimer’s dementia and a 71% higher risk of all types of dementia after ICU admission. discovered. The association was even stronger in models that further adjusted for other health factors such as vascular risk factors and diseases, other chronic diseases and functional impairments. ICU admission was associated with a 110% higher risk of Alzheimer’s disease and a 120% higher risk of all types. dementia.

RADC Epidemiologist Bryan D. James, Ph.D. “These findings may be important given the high rate of ICU admissions among older adults, especially given the surge in ICU admissions during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is more important than ever to understand the relationship between

“Further research is needed to replicate these findings and elucidate the factors that increase the risk of dementia. Is it a modifiable procedure while in the hospital?” James added.

Positive life changes during pandemic may ease cognitive symptoms
Researchers from countries in Latin America and the United States have found that pandemic-related sociodemographic factors and life changes are associated with experiencing cognitive symptoms, including problems with memory, attention, and other thinking skills, during the early stages of the pandemic. I checked to see if

In a study reported at AAIC, 2,382 Spanish-speaking adults aged 55–95 years (mean 65.3 years; 62.3% women) in nine Latin American countries completed an online or telephone survey and underwent electronic cognitive testing. , positive and negative effects of the pandemic from May to December 2020. Of the total study population, 145 (6.09%) experienced symptoms of her COVID-19.

Participant countries of origin: Uruguay (1,423, 59.7%), Mexico (311, 13.1%), Peru (153, 6.4%), Chile (152, 6.4%), Dominican Republic (117, 4.9%), Argentina (106) , 4.5%) %), Colombia (50, 2.1%), Ecuador (39, 1.6%), Puerto Rico (19, 0.8%), Others (12, 0.5%)

Key Findings:

• Women’s gender, current non-working status, and lower socioeconomic status were all independently associated with increased cognitive symptoms early in the pandemic.
• Negative life changes during the pandemic, such as financial hardship and restrictions on social activities, were significantly associated with more cognitive symptoms. However, this association does not support study participants who reported at least one positive life change, such as spending more time with friends and family or spending more time in nature during the pandemic. It was weak in between.

“Identifying risk factors and protective factors for cognitive symptoms during a pandemic is an important step towards developing prevention efforts.” psychiatry, and Director of Disparity Studies in the Department of Geriatrics, Gerontology and Palliative Care at the University of California, San Diego. “Experiencing positive life changes during the pandemic may mitigate the negative effects of negative life changes on cognitive symptoms.”

“This study is an example of how researchers from different countries in Latin America and the United States have come together under difficult circumstances, with researchers who had never worked together before and had limited resources. have a common goal of advancing the scientific understanding of Alzheimer’s disease, and the important contributions that such multicultural partnerships make,” Malkeen added.