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Preliminary results from a new study suggest that loss of the sense of smell, but not disease severity, predicts persistent cognitive impairment one year after SARS-CoV-2 infection.
The findings provide important insight into the long-term cognitive impact of COVID-19, said study researcher Gabriela Gonzalez-Alemán, Ph.D., professor at the Catholic University of Argentina in Buenos Aires. Medscape medical news.
The more information we can gather about the factors that increase the risk of this cognitive effect, she said, “the more we can track it and start developing ways to prevent it.”
The findings were presented at the 2022 Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC).
memory, attention problems
COVID-19 has infected more than 570 million people worldwide. Associated infections can cause long-term sequelae, including neuropsychiatric symptoms, Gonzalez-Alemán said.
In older adults, the sequelae of COVID-19 may resemble early Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and the two conditions may share risk factors and blood biomarkers.
Dr. Gabriela Gonzalez – Germany
A new study highlights the 1-year results of a large prospective cohort study from Argentina. The researchers used a tool recommended by the Alzheimer’s Society Consortium on Chronic Neuropsychiatric Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 Infection (CNS SC2) to assess the long-term effects of her COVID-19 in the elderly. did.
Harmonizing definitions and methodologies for studying the effects of COVID-19 on the brain will allow consortium members to compare findings, Gonzalez-Alemán said.
Investigators used the health register of Jujuy province, located in the far northwest of Argentina. The registry contains all SARS-CoV-2 laboratory data across the region.
Researchers randomly invited adults over the age of 60 from the registry to participate in the study. The current analysis included 766 adults aged 55–95 years (mean age 66.9 years, 57% female) who had an average of 10.4 years of education. The Argentinian education system includes her 12 years of school before college.
Researchers stratified subjects by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test status. Overall, 88.4% of his were infected with his COVID and 11.6% were controls (subjects without COVID).
Participants’ neurocognitive assessment included four cognitive domains: memory, attention, language and executive function, and an olfactory test to determine the degree of olfactory impairment. Cognitive impairment was defined as a Z-score less than -2.
Researchers divided participants into groups according to their cognitive abilities. These included normal cognition, memory-only impairment (single domain; 11.7%), attention and executive function impairment without memory impairment (two domains; 8.3%), and multidomain impairment (11.6%). was included.
“Our participants showed a preponderance of memory deficits similar to those seen in Alzheimer’s disease,” says Gonzalez-Aleman. showed.”
Approximately 40% of study samples had anosmia, but no controls.
“All subjects who had severe cognitive impairment also had olfactory impairment. [loss of smell]said Gonzalez Aleman.
Analyzes showed that severity of olfactory impairment, but not clinical status, significantly predicted cognitive impairment. “Therefore, anosmia may be a good predictor of cognitive impairment after COVID-19 infection,” said Gonzalez-Alemán..
Cognitive deficits can persist, similar to olfactory deficits, in individuals over the age of 60, she added.
A one-year telephone survey showed that approximately 71.8% of subjects received 3 doses of vaccine and 24.9% received 2 doses. Approximately 12.5% of those who received 3 doses were reinfected, and 23.3% of those who received 2 doses were reinfected.
Longest follow up ever
comments on the research of Medscape Medical NewsHeather Snyder, Ph.D., vice president of medical and scientific relations at the Alzheimer’s Association, said the study is the “longest follow-up to date” to examine the relationship between persistent smell loss and cognitive changes after COVID-19. said. infection.
The study included a “fairly large” sample size and was “unique” in that the centralized test was set in a part of the country, Snyder said.
The Argentinian group is one of the most advanced groups connected to CNS SC2, Snyder said.
Members of the Alzheimer’s Association consortium regularly share updates on ongoing research that is at various stages and examining the various neuropsychiatric effects of COVID-19, Snyder said. I’m here. It’s important to bring these groups together to determine what their impact is, “because one group alone cannot do this.
“We saw very early on that some individuals had brain changes, or cognitive changes, loss of smell or taste, which indicated a connection with the brain. I have.”
However, she added, “There’s still a lot we don’t know” about the connection.
This study was funded by the Alzheimer’s Association and FULTRA.
Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) 2022. Abstract 66868. Presented July 31, 2022.
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