Neurocognitive Changes in Patients with Post-COVID Depression.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Psychiatry
• Infectious Diseases

Background:

• COVID-19 is linked to depression and cognitive impairment.
• Neuropsychological deficits are common sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection.
• Post-COVID depression (PCD) requires further investigation into its cognitive impact.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess cognitive performance in patients diagnosed with post-COVID depression (PCD).
• To compare cognitive function between PCD patients, recovered COVID-19 individuals, and healthy controls.
• To identify predictors of cognitive decline in the context of COVID-19 and depression.

Main Methods:

• Neuropsychological testing was administered to 71 post-COVID patients.
• Participants included a PCD group (n=25), a noPCD group (n=46), recovered COVID-19 controls (n=18), and healthy controls (n=19).
• Cognitive domains assessed included memory, attention, processing speed, and olfactory function.

Main Results:

• PCD patients exhibited significant cognitive impairment in MoCA, WMT, SCWT, and TMT compared to controls.
• Gender-specific deficits were noted: men with PCD showed poorer performance in attention and memory recall; women with PCD had lower overall MoCA scores and slower processing speed.
• No significant differences in olfactory function (Sniffin's stick test) were found between groups.

Conclusions:

• Cognitive decline in PCD is influenced by both direct COVID-19 effects and depression-mediated factors, including male sex and COVID-19 severity.
• Findings highlight the importance of considering gender and prior COVID-19 severity for personalized depression treatment strategies.
• Neuropsychological testing is vital for characterizing cognitive deficits in post-COVID-19 populations with depression.