Research shows that despite the most serious consequences SARS-CoV-2 was observed in patients with acute form COVID-19People with milder cases who were not hospitalized also reported symptoms of memory loss and attention deficit lasting more than 18 months after infection.

In those with the severe form, memory loss and attention deficit are common complaints. COVID-19But these and other cognitive impairments were also seen in mild cases of the disease 18 months after infection, according to a study by researchers at the University of São Paulo (USP) in Brazil.

An article about the research was published in the journal BMC PsychologyThe authors write that the data obtained highlight the need for more complex rehabilitation to eliminate long-term cognitive consequences. COVID-19.

Data collected from 302 volunteers showed that 11.7% of mild patients, 39.2% of moderate patients, and 48.9% of severe patients had cognitive impairment.

“The damage caused by the disease in the form of memory loss, attention deficit and slowed processing increases in proportion to its severity, while the same problems affect a very small number of people – about 100 people in our study – who have mild to moderate disease. “COVID.” – said Antonio de Padua Serafim, first author of the article and professor at the Institute of Psychology (IP-USP).

The results of the FAPESP-funded study demonstrate the potential impact of neuroinflammation due to SARS-CoV-2 infection.

“It is known that memory loss and attention deficit due to intubation under deep anesthesia are associated with post-intensive syndrome. However, some of the data analyzed in the study came from patients who did not require intensive care or even had symptoms sufficient to require hospitalization, but showed memory loss and attention deficit. Thus, the data obtained opened our eyes to the problem of neuroinflammation caused by Covid-19,” Seraphim said.

Memory and attention are important cognitive functions that affect people’s daily lives. Reflecting this, study participants who tested poorly on memory and attention reported difficulty remembering words or performing routine activities, such as forgetting pots on the stove or failing to pick up their children from school.

“Hierarchically speaking, attention is the primary function in all mental activities, and this explains why attention deficits have such a huge impact on people’s daily lives. Quality attention is necessary to think and act in different ways at the same time. Attentional impairment also affects memory. In some cases, attentional activity is so dispersed that each new stimulus [або майбутня діяльність] “The person can’t remember what they did. It also affects processing, which involves making quick decisions based on information,” he said.

Cognitive rehabilitation

According to Seraphim, for some time now all the evidence has suggested that SARS-CoV-2 can affect the central nervous system as well as the lungs, kidneys, heart and muscles, but the extent of the damage it can cause is not fully understood. “We do not know if the cognitive impairment from COVID-19 is permanent and we are currently evaluating ways to intervene in this process,” he said.

Serafim, in partnership with other USP researchers, is developing programs to reduce cognitive losses caused by COVID-19. The goal is to find out whether techniques such as neurostimulation and neurofeedback can reduce or protect against memory loss and attention deficits.

“Both are non-invasive techniques that aim to improve brain function through neuromodulation, which can stimulate connections between neurons in the brain. [синапси]”So far, we only have case studies. For example, we used a neurofeedback protocol that is often used in patients with attention deficit disorder in the case of a doctor who stayed in intensive care for 34 days, and he showed good improvement. But this was an isolated case,” he said.

“Based on what we have learned about cognitive stimulation and rehabilitation techniques, I believe that it is possible to improve neural connections through brain training to stimulate general cognitive abilities. The difficult phase of the epidemic has passed, but the consequences continue. Therefore, it is not a closed case. Many people have been infected and many have similar effects. But we do not have an effective intervention program, not only emotionally, but also for the cognitive difficulties caused by Covid-19.”