Cognitive sequelae in post-COVID-syndrome: a Danish-Swedish case-control study

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Infectious Diseases
• Psychology

Background:

• Post-COVID syndrome (PCS) is characterized by cognitive deficits.
• Limited research compares PCS patients to fully recovered SARS-CoV-2 individuals.
• Understanding cognitive impacts across different SARS-CoV-2 variants is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare cognitive performance in PCS patients versus recovered controls, adjusting for key factors.
• To stratify cognitive function based on the infecting SARS-CoV-2 variant.
• To assess the relationship between psychological distress, hand grip strength, and cognitive performance in PCS.

Main Methods:

• A Danish-Swedish case-control study involving 181 PCS patients and 155 healthy controls.
• Cognitive tests, Kessler's psychological distress scale (K10), and hand-dynamometer assessments were administered.
• Data adjusted for age, BMI, smoking, education, gender, and hospitalization during infection.

Main Results:

• PCS patients exhibited reduced cognitive performance across all domains compared to controls.
• Processing speed was the most affected cognitive domain in PCS patients.
• Individuals infected earlier in the pandemic showed more pronounced cognitive deficits.

Conclusions:

• Post-COVID syndrome is linked to diminished cognitive processing speed, particularly in early pandemic infections.
• While psychological distress and reduced hand grip strength were observed in PCS, they were not primary drivers of cognitive deficits.
• Further research is needed to fully elucidate the long-term cognitive sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection.