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A Neuropsychiatric Assessment of Children with Previous SARS-CoV-2 Infection
Veronica Scarselli1, Dario Calderoni1, Arianna Terrinoni1
1Department of Human Neuroscience, Sapienza University of Rome, 00185 Rome, Italy.
Insights
Children who recovered from COVID-19 showed significantly higher rates of neuropsychiatric symptoms, including anxiety, depression, and executive dysfunction, months after infection.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric neuropsychiatry
- Infectious disease sequelae
- Child and adolescent mental health
Background:
- Growing concerns exist regarding potential long-term neuropsychiatric effects following COVID-19.
- Assessing these sequelae in pediatric populations is crucial for understanding long-term health impacts.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the plausibility of long-term mental health consequences in children post-SARS-CoV-2 infection.
- To evaluate neuropsychiatric and neuropsychological outcomes in a cohort of children after acute COVID-19.
Main Methods:
- A systematic follow-up of 50 children (aged 8-17) with prior COVID-19 was conducted.
- Participants underwent comprehensive neuropsychiatric and neuropsychological assessments 1-18 months post-infection.
- Standardized rating scales including the CBCL, MASC-2, CDI-2, and NEPSY II were utilized.
Main Results:
- 40% of children exhibited clinical-range internalizing symptoms (vs. 10% expected).
- High rates of anxiety (48%), sleep disturbances (28%), and depressive symptoms (16%) were observed.
- Impairments in attention (52%) and memory deficits (40%) were noted via NEPSY II.
Conclusions:
- Direct assessment reveals elevated neuropsychiatric symptoms in children after COVID-19.
- Findings support the potential for long-term mental health sequelae following SARS-CoV-2 infection in pediatric populations.
Aim:
Concerns have been raised about possible neuropsychiatric sequelae of COVID-19. The objective of this study was to examine the plausibility of long-term mental health consequences of COVID-19 by assessing a sample of children after the resolution of the acute SARS-CoV-2 infection.
Method:
As part of a systematic follow-up assessment of pediatric patients with COVID-19 conducted at two university children's hospitals, 50 children (56% males) aged 8 to 17 years (median 11.5), 26% with previous multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C), without a prior history of neuropsychiatric disorders, received a battery of clinical neuropsychiatric and neuropsychological rating scales that included the Pediatric Migraine Disability Assessment (PedMIDAS), Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children (SDSC), Multidimensional Anxiety Scale for Children (MASC-2), Child Depression Inventory (CDI-2), Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), and the NEPSY II (Neuropsychological Assessment, Second Edition). The assessments were conducted between 1 and 18 months (median 8 months) after the acute infection.
Results:
The CBCL internalizing symptoms score was in the clinical range for 40% of the participants (vs. a population expected rate of about 10%, p < 0.001). A sleep disturbance was detected in 28%, clinically significant anxiety in 48%, and depressive symptoms in 16%. The NEPSY II scores showed impairment in attention and other executive functions in 52%, and memory deficits in 40% of the children.
Conclusions:
These data from direct assessment of a sample of children who had SARS-CoV-2 infection show higher than expected rates of neuropsychiatric symptoms, thus supporting the possibility that COVID-19 may have mental health sequelae long after the resolution of the acute infection.
