TY - JOUR
AU - Manera, Marina Rita
AU - Fiabane, Elena
AU - Pain, Debora
AU - Aiello, Edoardo Nicolò
AU - Radici, Alice
AU - Ottonello, Marcella
AU - Padovani, Mariacristina
AU - Wilson, Barbara Ann
AU - Fish, Jessica
AU - Pistarini, Caterina
PY - 2021
DA - November
TI - Clinical features and cognitive sequelae in COVID-19: a retrospective study on N=152 patients
JO - Neurological Sciences
EP - 50
VL - 43
DO - https://doi.org/10.1007/s10072-021-05744-8
AB - Background: The novel human coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) shows neurotropism and systemically affects the central nervous system (CNS). Cognitive deficits have been indeed reported as both short- and long-term sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection. However, the association between these disturbances and background/disease-related clinical features remains elusive. This work aimed at exploring how post-infective cognitive status relates to clinical/treatment outcomes by controlling for premorbid/current risk factors for cognitive deficits. Methods: Cognitive measures (Mini-Mental State Examination, MMSE) of N=152 COVID-19 patient were retrospectively assessed in relation to disease severity, intensive care unit (ICU) admission, steroidal treatment, and occurrence of other viral/bacterial infections by controlling for remote/recent/COVID-19-related risk factors for cognitive deficits (at-risk vs. not-at-risk: Neuro+ vs. Neuro−). Results: Descriptively, impaired MMSE performances were highly prevalent in mild-to-moderate patients (26.3%). ICU-admitted patients made less errors (p=.021) on the MMSE than those not admitted when partialling out risk factors and age—the latter negatively influencing performances. When addressing Neuro− patients only, steroidal treatment appears to improve MMSE scores among those suffering from other infections (p=.025). Discussion: Cognitive sequelae of COVID-19 are likely to arise from a complex interplay between background/clinical premorbid features and disease-related/interventional procedures and outcomes. Mild-to-moderate patients requiring assistive ventilation who however are not admitted to an ICU are more likely to suffer from cognitive deficits—despite their etiology remaining elusive.
PB - Springer Nature
UR - https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/290125/
KW - Coronavirus (COVID-19)
KW - Mental health and wellbeing
ER