Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 5, 2025

Highlighting and Reducing the Impact of Negative Aging Stereotypes During Older Adults' Cognitive Testing
Published on: January 24, 2020
Long-Term Risk of Reduced Cognitive Performance and Associated Factors in Discharged Older Adults with COVID-19: A
Elif Demir1, Betül Gülsüm Yavuz Veizi2, Mehmet Ilkin Naharci2
1Department of Internal Medicine, Gulhane Faculty of Medicine & Gulhane Training and Research Hospital, University of Health Sciences, Ankara, Türkiye.
Background:
Increasing numbers of reports have suggested a deterioration in cognitive performance after recovery from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), however insufficient information is available regarding long-term brain health and risk factors related to reduced cognitive performance in advanced age. We investigated the prevalence of reduced cognitive performance and its associated factors among older adults after COVID-19.
Methods:
This prospective observational study enrolled older individuals (aged ≥65 years) hospitalized for COVID-19. Discharged patients were contacted after an average of 15 months and a brief battery was administered during telephone interviews to assess their mental status.
Results:
Among the 174 patients, 77 (44.3%) showed reduced cognitive performance at follow-up. Multivariate analysis revealed that female sex, education level, and increased Deyo/Charlson Comorbidity Index score, which is an objective indicator of chronic disease burden, were independent risk factors for long-term cognitive performance. Depression and anxiety symptoms, assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire-2 and Generalized Anxiety Disorder 2-item questionnaire at the end of the study, were not associated with reduced cognitive performance.
Conclusion:
Our findings provide key insights into discharged older adults with COVID-19 at risk of long-term cognitive impairment, and help to ascertain the factors associated with this problem.
Related Concept Videos
Cognitive Development During Adulthood
Long-term Depression
Calcium Ion Concentration Mechanism
If over...
Dementia
The progression of dementia is generally gradual....
Negative and Cognitive Symptoms of Schizophrenia
Negative Symptoms
Negative symptoms of schizophrenia manifest as deficits in normal emotional and behavioral functioning, profoundly impacting daily life. Individuals with schizophrenia often display a flat affect, characterized by a near-total absence of emotional expression,...
Cognitive Enhancers: Cholinesterase Inhibitors and NMDA Receptor Antagonists
Aging
Cellular Clock Theory
The cellular clock theory posits that the human lifespan is closely tied to the finite capacity of cells to divide, a phenomenon governed by telomeres, which are protective caps at the ends of...

