Could brain fog lead to a prolonged COVID-19 pandemic?

for COVID-19 Patients perceiving cognitive impairment or “brain fog” within the first 4 weeks after infection may be associated with the following symptoms: long coronavirusaccording to independent research published of JAMA network open.

To describe the characteristics of patients who experience cognitive impairment within the first four weeks after COVID-19 and the association between those cognitive impairments and long-term COVID-19, researchers at UCLA We conducted a prospective cohort study of 766 patients with COVID-19. Patients were enrolled in the study between April 2020 and February 2021 after laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 infection.

Although such neuropsychiatric symptoms are common to acute and prolonged COVID-19, the study authors noted that these disorders, so-called “brain fog,” and long-term COVID-19 are not associated with each other. It is unclear at this time if there is a connection. Brain fog affects people of all ages, and neurocognitive symptoms may include memory impairment, difficulty concentrating, difficulty concentrating, and PTSD, the study authors added.

Participants were followed up 30, 60, and 90 days after discharge (from the date of first positive COVID-19 test for nonhospitalized patients) using questionnaires administered by a nurse over the phone. rice field. ). The questionnaire asked participants whether they felt that their health had returned to normal, whether they were able to perform strenuous activity (such as running), moderate activity (such as moving a table or climbing stairs), and bathing and dressing on their own. rice field.

The study authors noted that patients were also asked about symptoms such as fever, chills and night sweats over the past four weeks. Loss of smell or taste. chest pain; numbness and tingling; nausea, vomiting, diarrhea; muscle pain; and rash.

Finally, the questionnaire asked participants whether they had difficulty keeping things organized, having difficulty concentrating on activities such as watching TV or reading a book, and whether they had forgotten what they had said on the phone in the past four weeks. I was. Participants were able to answer ‘never’, ‘rarely’, ‘sometimes’, ‘often’ and ‘almost always’.

The researchers observed that at baseline, 23.5% of participants reported being able to complete vigorous activity and 48% reported being able to complete moderate activity.

Additionally, 64% of participants reported no perceived cognitive impairment for the three questionnaire items. About one-third of patients reported difficulty organizing things, one-third reported being unable to concentrate on activities, and one-quarter reported forgetting what was said on the phone. The most common symptoms of acute COVID-19 during this period were fatigue, shortness of breath and muscle pain, the study authors noted.

For long-term COVID-19 patients, the study authors found that patients who reported cognitive deficits had long-term COVID-19 symptoms at 60 and 90 days compared with those without cognitive deficits. found that they were more likely to report symptoms of the virus. At 60 and 90 days, 233 patients reported long-term COVID-19 symptoms, half of whom reported cognitive impairment at 30 days. By comparison, of the 543 patients who reported no long-term COVID-19 symptoms at 60 or 90 days, only 29% reported cognitive impairment during the 30-day study.

“A longitudinal cohort study of COVID-19 patients in one healthcare system found an association between perceived cognitive impairment early in the illness and long-term COVID-19. “It points us in the direction of exploring the fundamentals of viruses,” the study authors said. concluded.

For more information on COVID-19 and brain fog, see our previous report. Contagious disease: “Covid-19 worsens dementia”