COVID-19 Long-Term Effects: Is There an Impact on the Simple Reaction Time and Alternative-Forced Choice on Recovered...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Infectious Diseases
• Cognitive Psychology

Background:

• Post-COVID-19 conditions can manifest as cognitive impairment, affecting various neurological and psychological functions.
• Understanding the extent and nature of cognitive damage is crucial for effective patient management and rehabilitation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To comparatively evaluate cognitive damage in post-COVID-19 patients using psychophysical tests.
• To assess deficits in decision-making, visual attention, and information processing speed.
• To correlate cognitive performance with COVID-19 severity.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 109 post-COVID-19 patients and 38 controls.
• Utilized Two-Alternative Forced Choice (2AFC) and Simple Reaction Time (SRT) tests in a virtual environment.
• Emotiv EPOC+® headset recorded EEG signals for Focus, Interest, and Engagement during 2AFC tests.

Main Results:

• Patients recovered from severe-critical COVID-19 showed poorer performance in decision-making, Focus, and information processing speed compared to controls and mild-moderate cases.
• Significant deficits were observed: 42.42% in information processing speed (mild-moderate), 46.15% in decision-making (mild-moderate), and 62.16% in information processing speed (severe-critical).
• EEG data indicated lower Focus metrics in severe-critical COVID-19 survivors.

Conclusions:

• Coronavirus infection causes significant damage to the central nervous and visual systems, impairing cognitive capabilities.
• Cognitive deficits are more pronounced in individuals with a history of severe-critical COVID-19.
• Psychological follow-up is recommended for all COVID-19 recovery patients to address cognitive impairments.