Unveiling the Intricacies of Implicit Motor Learning in Adults Recovered from COVID-19

COVID-19 is primarily a respiratory illness, but it has been linked to persistent neurocognitive deficits. Given the prefrontal cortex's role in cognitive-motor processing and implicit motor learning, this study examined whether individuals recovered from COVID-19 exhibit impairments in reaction time and procedural learning. Eighty-four college students (COVID-recovered n = 24; controls n = 60) completed a remote serial reaction time task. The COVID-recovered group showed significantly slower reaction times than controls (Δ = 47.1; ω² = 0.127). No group differences emerged for implicit learning (Δ = 12.5; ω² ≈ 0). Regression analyses indicated COVID-19 status predicted slower reaction times (β = 0.520, p = 0.048), independent of age, sex, BMI, and physical activity. These findings suggest residual cognitive-motor slowing following COVID-19 without impaired procedural learning.