According to patient studies, Covid-19 can cause a “significant” decline in cognitive function

A study of more than 84,500 people supports previous signs that survival of the new coronavirus may be associated with potentially serious cognitive impairment. Reuters reported on TuesdayAh. New studies based on online research have some major limitations, but other studies have found that covid-19 can cause neurological problems even in people with mild cases.

A research team led by Adam Hampshire at Imperial College London reviewed data from the Great British Intelligence Test. This is a collaborative project with BBC2 Horizon. Collect various cognitive test and survey data. Expanded to include questions about covid-19 infection in May. In a dataset of approximately 84,500 people, 9,201 reported infections without respiratory symptoms. 3,466 people had dyspnea but did not receive medical assistance. 176 needed treatment at home. 147 people were hospitalized. And another 60 had to use a ventilator.

“Recovered people, including those who stopped reporting symptoms, showed significant cognitive impairment in managing age, gender, education level, income, racial and ethnic groups, and existing medical disorders. “The researchers wrote in their research. “They were of considerable effect size not only in hospitalized people, but also in mild but biologically confirmed cases that did not report dyspnea.”

GBIT not only allows respondents to answer a variety of questions about their living conditions, but also semantic problem-solving, spatial working memory, selective attention, And emotional processing. These results are used to assess the overall cognitive score of the population. In this study, researchers did not have data before and after respondents who stated they had coronavirus. Instead, they calculated how many standard deviations cognitive scores were from healthy controls, taking into account factors such as age, gender, education, income, race-ethnic groups, and existing medical conditions. ..

The researcher wrote it Survey results shown Cognitive deficits were correlated with the degree of medical care received and were a substitute for the severity of each case. hThe hardest hits were those who were hospitalized and needed respiratory use, whose GBIT global composite score was “an average 10-year decline in global performance between the ages of 20 and 70 in this dataset. It was “equivalent to” and was larger than the average deficit. Of those who have reported a stroke or learning disability.

“The deficit was widespread and affected multiple cognitive areas,” the researchers added, “solving semantic problems while refraining from testing simpler functions such as emotional processing and working memory spans.” And visual selective attention “was most obvious.

However, there are some major caveats here.This study was not peer-reviewed, did not rely on online surveys and tests, and experts. Told Reuters Its design was inherently limited. In particular, the observed effects may not last for a long time.

Joanna Wardlow, a professor of applied neuroimaging at the University of Edinburgh, told Reuters: “Participant cognitive function is unknown prior to COVID and results do not reflect long-term recovery, so cognitive effects may be short-term.” University College London Medical Derek Hill, a professor of imaging science, told the news agency that the results did not include-as before.After the score The majority of people who said they got sick with the coronavirus did not report a positive test for the coronavirus. In other words, many people may have self-diagnosed... (However, a positive virus test will worsen the GBIT result, even in mild cases.) Hill said This study was “intriguing but disadvantageousA comprehensive study of the effects of COVID on the brain, “he added. Long-term research is needed to understand whether this brain injury is permanent.

This study adds a body of knowledge that suggests that the SARS-CoV-2 virus can cause neurological damage.Some patients are reporting Loss of smell and taste (Rarely Probably forever), And medical research Published this year Evidence of neurological complications ranging from cognitive impairment and delirium to swelling and bleeding of the brain was found in a small number of patients. Scientists doubt It Cytokine stormThe indiscriminate attack of one’s cells by the body’s immune system can be one of the causes of damage to the nervous system and heart.

Such observations are not unprecedented.Medical researchers have observed a surge in neuropsychiatric symptoms Past virus pandemic..In the published study Earlier this yearScientists at the University of California, San Diego argued that the potential wave of neurological disorders caused by pandemics would require long-term attention from the medical community.

“We also want people to be aware that the nervous system may be involved in COVID-19, so emotional, behavioral, cognitive, or sensory movements that can occur during recovery. I would like to talk to my doctor about my symptoms. ”Emily Troyer, UCSD Psychiatry, lead author Told to Gizmodo At the time. “We don’t want people to worry anymore. We want people to know that they should consult their healthcare provider if they experience this type of symptom. Together we will overcome this. . “