Social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic is associated with the decline in cognitive functioning in young adults

Coronaviruses have caused widespread disease and death worldwide, leading to the implementation of lockdown measures and the closure of educational institutions in various countries. This research aims to investigate the impact of social isolation on the cognitive functioning of young students. The study included 84 subjects, with 48 being socially isolated and 36 non-isolated individuals. The participants' mental health was assessed using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), while cognitive functions were evaluated through attention-switching tasks (AST), pattern recognition memory (PRM), and choice reaction time (CRT) tests utilizing the Cambridge Neuropsychological Automated Battery (CANTAB) software. The socially isolated group had an average age of 21.3 ± 1.1 years, whereas the non-isolated group had an average age of 22.8 ± 2.0 years. The MMSE scores were 25.8 ± 1.6 for the socially isolated group and 28.6 ± 1.3 for the non-isolated group. In terms of cognitive functioning, there were significant differences (p = 0.000) observed in the values of AST correct latency for non-switching blocks (blocks 3 and 5) between the socially isolated group (608.1 ± 139.2) and the non-isolated group (499.5 ± 67.8). Similarly, the AST mean correct latency for switching blocks (block 7) was significantly different (p = 0.012) between the socially isolated group (784.4 ± 212.5) and the non-isolated group (671.8 ± 175.6). The socially isolated group exhibited significantly higher values in AST correct mean latency, AST congruent mean latency, AST incongruent mean latency, and AST percent mean correct trials compared to the non-isolated group. Additionally, the PRM mean percent correct significantly differed (p = 0.000) between the isolated group (81.3 ± 12.0) and the non-isolated group (91.9 ± 9.2). The isolated group also showed a higher CRT correct mean latency (482.4 ± 128.9) than the non-isolated group (451.0 ± 59.0), however the difference was not significant. In conclusion, social isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a decline in the cognitive functioning of young students.