Cognitive and affective psychoeducation for Long COVID: a randomized controlled trial

Area of Science:

• Neurology
• Psychology
• Rehabilitation Medicine

Background:

• Long COVID presents persistent cognitive difficulties and fatigue, impacting daily life.
• Current interventions for Long COVID symptoms lack robust efficacy data.
• Psychoeducational approaches are being explored for neurological rehabilitation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the effectiveness of cognitive-focused versus affective-focused psychoeducational interventions for Long COVID patients with cognitive complaints.
• To evaluate the impact of these interventions on cognitive function, fatigue, sleep, quality of life, and psychological distress.

Main Methods:

• A randomized controlled trial (COVCOG) involving 122 Long COVID patients.
• Participants received either a cognitive-focused or an affective-focused psychoeducational program (4 sessions).
• Neuropsychological assessments were conducted pre-intervention and at 2 and 8 months post-intervention, analyzed using Linear Mixed Models (LMMs).

Main Results:

• Both interventions led to significant improvements over time in subjective cognitive complaints, objective cognitive performance, quality of life, fatigue, and sleep (P < 0.03).
• No significant group-by-time interaction was observed, suggesting similar trajectories between the cognitive and affective groups.
• Low dropout rates (9-12%) and high attendance (92%) confirmed intervention feasibility.

Conclusions:

• Both cognitive and affective psychoeducational interventions are feasible and beneficial for managing cognitive problems in Long COVID.
• While both interventions showed general improvements, specific benefits for one over the other require further investigation.
• Longer treatment durations may be necessary to achieve more substantial improvements in Long COVID symptoms.