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Taylor ER, Estevao C, Jarrett L, Woods A, Crane N, Fancourt D, Pariante C, Jones F. Experiences of acquired brain injury survivors participating in online and hybrid performance arts programmes: an ethnographic study. Arts Health 2024; 16:189-205. [PMID: 37395661 DOI: 10.1080/17533015.2023.2226697] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2022] [Accepted: 06/09/2023] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Performance arts can benefit people with acquired brain injury (ABI). This study explored the online delivery during COVID-19 restrictions, of a performance art intervention through the experiences of participants, artists and facilitators. METHODS Two community-based programmes were delivered. Online ethnographic observations and semi-structured interviews with participants, artists and facilitators were completed. RESULTS The programmes benefited participants by addressing loneliness and isolation; building confidence through peer support; improving physical limitations through movement; improving communication through music and vocal work; and using poetry, visual arts, metaphor and performance to make sense of participants' experiences. Participants had mixed experiences of participation, but it was an acceptable alternative to in-person arts interventions for those who overcame digital challenges. CONCLUSIONS ABI survivors can engage in online performance art programmes and find participation valuable for their health, well-being, and recovery. More work is needed to explore the generalisability of these findings, especially given digital poverty.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Carolina Estevao
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, 5 Cutcombe Rd, London, UK
| | | | - Anthony Woods
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, 5 Cutcombe Rd, London, UK
| | - Nikki Crane
- Arts, Health and Wellbeing, Culture Team, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Daisy Fancourt
- Department of Behavioural Science and Health, University College London, London, UK
| | - Carmine Pariante
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, 5 Cutcombe Rd, London, UK
| | - Fiona Jones
- Institute of Population Health, St George's, University of London, London, UK
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Vints WAJ, Valatkevičienė K, Levin O, Weerasekera A, Jesmanas S, Kušleikienė S, Česnaitienė VJ, Himmelreich U, Verbunt JA, Ratai EM, Gleiznienė R, Masiulis N. Hippocampal neurometabolic and structural changes from pre-to post-COVID-19: A case-series study. Magn Reson Imaging 2024; 109:249-255. [PMID: 38521366 DOI: 10.1016/j.mri.2024.03.032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2024] [Revised: 03/19/2024] [Accepted: 03/20/2024] [Indexed: 03/25/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neurological complications of the COVID-19 infection may be caused in part by local neurochemical and structural abnormalities that could not be detected during routine medical examinations. We examined within subject neurometabolic and structural brain alterations from pre-to post-COVID-19 in the hippocampal region of three elderly individuals (aged 63-68 years) who had a COVID-19 infection with mild symptoms. Patients were participating in an interventional study in which they were closely monitored at the time they were diagnosed with COVID-19. Patients 1 and 2 just completed 18-20 resistance training sessions prior to their diagnosis. Patient 3 was assigned to a non-training condition in the same study. METHODS Whole brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) images and proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) of the left hippocampus were collected before and after infection. Structural and spectroscopic imaging measures post-COVID-19 were contrasted to the pre-COVID-19 measures and were compared with values for Minimal Detectable Change at 95% (MDC95) and 90% (MDC90) confidence from a group of six elderly (aged 60-79 years) without COVID-19 that participated in the same study. RESULTS After SARS-COV-2 infection, we observed a reduction of glutamate-glutamine (Glx) in Patients 1 and 2 (≥ 42.0%) and elevation of myo-inositol (mIns) and N-acetyl-aspartate (NAA) in Patient 3 (≥ 36.4%); all > MDC90. MRI findings showed increased (Patients 1 and 2) or unchanged (Patient 3) hippocampal volume. CONCLUSIONS Overall, findings from this exploratory study suggest that mild COVID-19 infection could be associated with development of local neuroinflammation and reduced glutamate levels in the hippocampus. Our 1H-MRS findings may have clinical value for explaining chronic neurological and psychological complaints in COVID-19 long-haulers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wouter A J Vints
- Department of Health Promotion and Rehabilitation, Lithuanian Sports University, LT-44221 Kaunas, Lithuania; Department of Rehabilitation Medicine Research School CAPHRI, Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, the Netherlands; Adelante Zorggroep, P.O. Box 88, 6430 AB, Hoensbroek, the Netherlands.
| | - Kristina Valatkevičienė
- Department of Radiology, Kauno Klinikos, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Kaunas, Lithuania
| | - Oron Levin
- Department of Health Promotion and Rehabilitation, Lithuanian Sports University, LT-44221 Kaunas, Lithuania; Movement Control & Neuroplasticity Research Group, Group Biomedical Sciences, KU Leuven, Heverlee 3001, Belgium
| | - Akila Weerasekera
- A.A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School (MGH/HMS), Boston 02129, MA, USA
| | - Simonas Jesmanas
- Department of Radiology, Kauno Klinikos, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Kaunas, Lithuania
| | - Simona Kušleikienė
- Department of Health Promotion and Rehabilitation, Lithuanian Sports University, LT-44221 Kaunas, Lithuania
| | - Vida J Česnaitienė
- Department of Health Promotion and Rehabilitation, Lithuanian Sports University, LT-44221 Kaunas, Lithuania
| | - Uwe Himmelreich
- Biomedical MRI Unit, Department of Imaging and Pathology, Group Biomedical Sciences, KU Leuven, Leuven 3000, Belgium
| | - Jeanine A Verbunt
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine Research School CAPHRI, Maastricht University, P.O. Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, the Netherlands; Adelante Zorggroep, P.O. Box 88, 6430 AB, Hoensbroek, the Netherlands
| | - Eva-Maria Ratai
- A.A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School (MGH/HMS), Boston 02129, MA, USA
| | - Rymantė Gleiznienė
- Department of Radiology, Kauno Klinikos, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Kaunas, Lithuania
| | - Nerijus Masiulis
- Department of Health Promotion and Rehabilitation, Lithuanian Sports University, LT-44221 Kaunas, Lithuania; Department of Rehabilitation, Physical and Sports Medicine, Institute of Health Science, Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University, M. K. Čiurlionio Str. 21, LT-03101 Vilnius, Lithuania
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Foret-Bruno P, Shafran R, Stephenson T, Nugawela MD, Chan D, Ladhani S, McOwat K, Mensah A, Simmons R, Fox Smith L, D'oelsnitz A, Xu L, Dalrymple E, Heyman I, Ford T, Segal T, Chalder T, Rojas N, Pinto Pereira SM. Prevalence and co-occurrence of cognitive impairment in children and young people up to 12-months post infection with SARS-CoV-2 (Omicron variant). Brain Behav Immun 2024:S0889-1591(24)00389-1. [PMID: 38735404 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbi.2024.05.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2023] [Revised: 03/06/2024] [Accepted: 05/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/14/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cognitive impairment is often reported after SARS-CoV-2 infection, yet evidence gaps remain. We aimed to (i) report the prevalence and characteristics of children and young people (CYP) reporting "brain fog" (i.e., cognitive impairment) 12-months post PCR-proven SARS-CoV-2 infection and determine whether differences by infection status exist and (ii) explore the prevalence of CYP experiencing cognitive impairment over a 12-month period post-infection and investigate the relationship between cognitive impairment and poor mental health and well-being, mental fatigue and sleep problems. METHODS The Omicron CLoCk sub-study, set up in January 2022, collected data on first-time PCR-test-positive and PCR-proven reinfected CYP at time of testing and at 3-, 6- and 12-months post-testing. We describe the prevalence of cognitive impairment at 12-months, indicating when it was first reported. We characterise CYP experiencing cognitive impairment and use chi-squared tests to determine whether cognitive impairment prevalence varied by infection status. We explore the relationship between cognitive impairment and poor mental health and well-being, mental fatigue and trouble sleeping using validated scales. We examine associations at 3-, 6- and 12-months post-testing by infection status using Mann-Whitney U and chi-square tests. RESULTS At 12-months post-testing, 7.0 % (24/345) of first-positives and 7.5 % (27/360) of reinfected CYP experienced cognitive impairment with no difference between infection-status groups (p = 0.78). The majority of these CYP experienced cognitive impairment for the first time at either time of testing or 3-months post-test (no difference between the infection-status groups; p = 0.60). 70.8 % of first-positives experiencing cognitive impairment at 12-months, were 15-to-17-years-old as were 33.3 % of reinfected CYP experiencing cognitive impairment (p < 0.01). Consistently at all time points post-testing, CYP experiencing cognitive impairment were more likely to score higher on all Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire subscales, higher on the Chalder Fatigue sub-scale for mental fatigue, lower on the Short Warwick-Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale and report more trouble sleeping. CONCLUSIONS CYP have a fluctuating experience of cognitive impairment by 12-months post SARS-CoV-2-infection. Cognitive impairment is consistently correlated with poorer sleep, behavioural and emotional functioning over a 12-month period. Clinicians should be aware of cognitive impairment post-infection and its co-occurring nature with poorer sleep, behavioural and mental health symptoms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Foret-Bruno
- Institut de Psychologie, Université Lumière Lyon 2, 18 Quai Claude Bernard 69365 LYON Cedex 07, France
| | - Roz Shafran
- UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, 30 Guilford Street, London, WC1N 1EH, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
| | - Terence Stephenson
- UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, 30 Guilford Street, London, WC1N 1EH, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
| | - Manjula D Nugawela
- UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, 30 Guilford Street, London, WC1N 1EH, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
| | - Dennis Chan
- UCL Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, Alexandra House, London, WC1N 3AZ, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
| | - Shamez Ladhani
- Immunisations and Vaccine Preventable Diseases, UK Health Security Agency, 61 Colindale Avenue, London NW9 5EQ, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
| | - Kelsey McOwat
- Immunisations and Vaccine Preventable Diseases, UK Health Security Agency, 61 Colindale Avenue, London NW9 5EQ, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
| | - Anna Mensah
- Immunisations and Vaccine Preventable Diseases, UK Health Security Agency, 61 Colindale Avenue, London NW9 5EQ, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
| | - Ruth Simmons
- Immunisations and Vaccine Preventable Diseases, UK Health Security Agency, 61 Colindale Avenue, London NW9 5EQ, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
| | - Lana Fox Smith
- UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, 30 Guilford Street, London, WC1N 1EH, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
| | - Anaïs D'oelsnitz
- UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, 30 Guilford Street, London, WC1N 1EH, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
| | - Laila Xu
- UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, 30 Guilford Street, London, WC1N 1EH, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
| | - Emma Dalrymple
- UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, 30 Guilford Street, London, WC1N 1EH, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
| | - Isobel Heyman
- UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, 30 Guilford Street, London, WC1N 1EH, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
| | - Tamsin Ford
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Hershel Smith Building Cambridge Biomedical Campus, CB2 0SZ, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
| | - Terry Segal
- University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London, NW1 2PG, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
| | - Trudie Chalder
- Department of Psychological Medicine, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, De'Crespigny Park, London, SE5 8AF, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
| | - Natalia Rojas
- Division of Surgery & Interventional Science, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University College London, WC1E 6BT, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
| | - Snehal M Pinto Pereira
- Division of Surgery & Interventional Science, Faculty of Medical Sciences, University College London, WC1E 6BT, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
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Zheng ZS, Simonian N, Wang J, Rosario ER. Transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation improves Long COVID symptoms in a female cohort: a pilot study. Front Neurol 2024; 15:1393371. [PMID: 38756213 PMCID: PMC11097097 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2024.1393371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/29/2024] [Accepted: 04/19/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024] Open
Abstract
Background Long COVID, also known as Post-COVID-19 syndrome, is characterized by multisystemic symptoms that persists for weeks to years beyond acute infection. It disproportionately affects women and those with pre-existing anxiety/depression, conditions more prevalent in females. The vagus nerve, with its extensive innervation and regulation of critical bodily functions, has become a focal point for therapeutic interventions. Transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (t-VNS) has emerged as a promising non-invasive treatment for COVID-19 conditions. Methods This pilot study assessed the efficacy of t-VNS in 24 female Long COVID patients (45.8 ± 11.7 years old; 20.2 ± 7.1 months since infection), who underwent a 10-day t-VNS intervention at home (30 min/session, twice a day). Cognition was considered the primary outcome, with anxiety, depression, sleep, fatigue, and smell as secondary outcomes. Outcomes were measured at baseline, post-intervention, and 1-month follow-up. Results Significant improvements were observed in various cognitive functions, anxiety, depression, and sleep at post-intervention, with benefits remaining or progressing at 1-month follow-up. Improvements in fatigue were delayed, reaching statistical significance at 1-month follow-up compared to baseline. No significant changes were noted in olfactory performance. Conclusion This pilot study provides preliminary evidence supporting the potential of t-VNS as a therapeutic intervention for female Long COVID patients. The encouraging results justify further rigorous investigation through larger, randomized controlled trials to confirm the efficacy of t-VNS, assess its generalizability to male cohorts, and explore biological markers to inform personalized treatment approaches. Our findings support the allocation of resources to conduct such trials and advance the understanding of t-VNS as a potential treatment for Long COVID.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhong Sheng Zheng
- Research Institute, Casa Colina Hospital and Centers for Healthcare, Pomona, CA, United States
| | - Ninette Simonian
- Institute of Advanced Consciousness Studies, Santa Monica, CA, United States
| | - Jing Wang
- Research Institute, Casa Colina Hospital and Centers for Healthcare, Pomona, CA, United States
| | - Emily R. Rosario
- Research Institute, Casa Colina Hospital and Centers for Healthcare, Pomona, CA, United States
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Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 infection has a wide range of both acute and long-term symptoms. Memory alterations have been frequently reported in studies that explore cognition. The main objective of the systematic review is to update and further analyze the existing evidence of objective memory impairments in long-COVID-19 considering sample and study design characteristics, as well as to explore associations between memory performance and their epidemiological, clinical, and pathological features. A total of 13 studies were identified by searching in PubMed, Web of Science, and PsycInfo databases up to May 6, 2022. Most studies evaluated verbal component of memory in the short-term and long-term recall up to 30 min and mainly performed a single assessment completed at 4-6 months after the infection. The samples mainly consisted of middle-aged adults that required hospitalization. Samples were not stratified by sex, age, and severity. Poor verbal learning was reported in most cases (6-58%), followed by deficits in long-term (4-58%) and short-term (4-37%) verbal memory. Visuospatial component of memory was studied less than verbal component, showing impairment of long-term retention of visual items (10-49%). COVID-19 severity in the acute stage was not systematically associated with poor memory performance. Verbal memory deficits were associated with anxiety and depression. The existing literature on objective memory assessment in long-COVID suggests further research is warranted to confirm memory dysfunction in association with epidemiological, pathological, and clinical factors, using both verbal and visuospatial tests, and exploring in deep long-term memory deficits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tania Llana
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain
| | - Candela Zorzo
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain
- Faculty of Psychology, Neuroscience Institute of Principado de Asturias (INEUROPA), Oviedo, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias (ISPA), Av. del Hospital Universitario, Oviedo, Spain
| | - Magdalena Mendez-Lopez
- Department of Psychology and Sociology, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain
- IIS Aragón, Zaragoza, Spain
| | - Marta Mendez
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Oviedo, Oviedo, Spain
- Faculty of Psychology, Neuroscience Institute of Principado de Asturias (INEUROPA), Oviedo, Spain
- Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria del Principado de Asturias (ISPA), Av. del Hospital Universitario, Oviedo, Spain
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Gutman EG, Salvio AL, Fernandes RA, Duarte LA, Raposo-Vedovi JV, Alcaraz HF, Teixeira MA, Passos GF, de Medeiros KQM, Hammerle MB, Pires KL, Vasconcelos CCF, Leon LAA, Figueiredo CP, Alves-Leon SV. Long COVID: plasma levels of neurofilament light chain in mild COVID-19 patients with neurocognitive symptoms. Mol Psychiatry 2024:10.1038/s41380-024-02554-0. [PMID: 38678084 DOI: 10.1038/s41380-024-02554-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2023] [Revised: 04/02/2024] [Accepted: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/29/2024]
Abstract
It is well known the potential of severe acute respiratory coronavirus type 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection to induce post-acute sequelae, a condition called Long COVID. This syndrome includes several symptoms, but the central nervous system (CNS) main one is neurocognitive dysfunction. Recently it has been demonstrated the relevance of plasma levels of neurofilament light chain (pNfL), as a biomarker of early involvement of the CNS in COVID-19. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between pNfL in patients with post-acute neurocognitive symptoms and the potential of NfL as a prognostic biomarker in these cases. A group of 63 long COVID patients ranging from 18 to 59 years-old were evaluated, submitted to a neurocognitive battery assessment, and subdivided in different groups, according to results. Plasma samples were collected during the long COVID assessment and used for measurement of pNfL with the Single molecule array (SIMOA) assays. Levels of pNfL were significantly higher in long COVID patients with neurocognitive symptoms when compared to HC (p = 0.0031). Long COVID patients with cognitive impairment and fatigue symptoms presented higher pNfL levels when compared to long COVID patients without these symptoms, individually and combined (p = 0.0263, p = 0.0480, and 0.0142, respectively). Correlation analysis showed that levels of cognitive lost and exacerbation of fatigue in the neurocognitive evaluation had a significative correlation with higher pNfL levels (p = 0.0219 and 0.0255, respectively). Previous reports suggested that pNfL levels are related with higher risk of severity and predict lethality of COVID-19. Our findings demonstrate that SARS-CoV-2 infection seems to have a long-term impact on the brain, even in patients who presented mild acute disease. NfL measurements might be useful to identify CNS involvement in long COVID associated with neurocognitive symptoms and to identify who will need continuous monitoring and treatment support.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisa Gouvea Gutman
- Translational Neuroscience Laboratory (LabNet), Biomedical Institute, Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro/UNIRIO, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, ZIP CODE 20211-040, Brazil
- Clinical Medicine post-graduation program, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Andreza Lemos Salvio
- Translational Neuroscience Laboratory (LabNet), Biomedical Institute, Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro/UNIRIO, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, ZIP CODE 20211-040, Brazil
| | - Renan Amphilophio Fernandes
- Translational Neuroscience Laboratory (LabNet), Biomedical Institute, Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro/UNIRIO, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, ZIP CODE 20211-040, Brazil
| | - Larissa Araujo Duarte
- Translational Neuroscience Laboratory (LabNet), Biomedical Institute, Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro/UNIRIO, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, ZIP CODE 20211-040, Brazil
- Clinical Medicine post-graduation program, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Jessica Vasques Raposo-Vedovi
- Translational Neuroscience Laboratory (LabNet), Biomedical Institute, Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro/UNIRIO, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, ZIP CODE 20211-040, Brazil
| | - Helena França Alcaraz
- Translational Neuroscience Laboratory (LabNet), Biomedical Institute, Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro/UNIRIO, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, ZIP CODE 20211-040, Brazil
| | - Milene Ataíde Teixeira
- Translational Neuroscience Laboratory (LabNet), Biomedical Institute, Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro/UNIRIO, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, ZIP CODE 20211-040, Brazil
| | | | | | - Mariana Beiral Hammerle
- Division of Neurology, Gaffrée and Guinle University Hospital, Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro/UNIRIO, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | - Karina Lebeis Pires
- Division of Neurology, Gaffrée and Guinle University Hospital, Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro/UNIRIO, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil
| | | | | | | | - Soniza Vieira Alves-Leon
- Translational Neuroscience Laboratory (LabNet), Biomedical Institute, Federal University of the State of Rio de Janeiro/UNIRIO, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, ZIP CODE 20211-040, Brazil.
- Department of Neurology, Clementino Fraga Filho University Hospital, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brazil.
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de Pádua Serafim A, Saffi F, Soares ARA, Morita AM, Assed MM, de Toledo S, Rocca CCA, Durães RSS. Cognitive performance of post-covid patients in mild, moderate, and severe clinical situations. BMC Psychol 2024; 12:236. [PMID: 38671529 PMCID: PMC11046800 DOI: 10.1186/s40359-024-01740-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Studying individuals with varying symptoms, from mild to severe, can provide valuable insights into the spectrum of cognitive outcomes after COVID-19. We investigated the cognitive performance of adults who recovered from the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) without prior cognitive complaints, considering mild (not hospitalized), moderate (ward), and severe (intensive care unit) symptoms. METHODS This cross-sectional study included 302 patients who recovered from COVID-19 (mild, n = 102; moderate, n = 102; severe, n = 98). We assessed intellectual quotient (IQ), attention, memory, processing speed, visual-constructive ability, as well as symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress, at least eighteen months after infection. The mean length of hospitalization was Mdays=8.2 (SD = 3.9) and Mdays=14.4 (SD = 8.2) in the moderate and severe groups, respectively. RESULTS Cognitive difficulties were present in all three groups: mild (n = 12, 11.7%), moderate (n = 40, 39.2%), and severe (n = 48, 48.9%). Using Multinomial Logistic Regression and considering the odds ratio, our results indicated that a one-point increase in sustained attention, visual memory, and working memory might decrease the odds of being categorized in the severe group by 20%, 24%, and 77%, respectively, compared to the mild group. CONCLUSIONS Our findings provide empirical evidence regarding the long-term cognitive effects of COVID-19, particularly in individuals experiencing severe manifestations of the disease. We also highlighted the need for a comprehensive, multidimensional approach in rehabilitation programs to address the enduring cognitive impacts of COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Fabiana Saffi
- Institute of Psychiatry, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | | | | | - Sandro de Toledo
- Institute of Psychology, University of Brasília, Brasília, Brazil
| | | | - Ricardo S S Durães
- Institute of Psychology, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
- Institute of Psychology, University of Brasília, Brasília, Brazil
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Garmoe W, Rao K, Gorter B, Kantor R. Neurocognitive Impairment in Post-COVID-19 Condition in Adults: Narrative Review of the Current Literature. Arch Clin Neuropsychol 2024; 39:276-289. [PMID: 38520374 DOI: 10.1093/arclin/acae017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2024] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/25/2024] Open
Abstract
The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 virus has, up to the time of this article, resulted in >770 million cases of COVID-19 illness worldwide, and approximately 7 million deaths, including >1.1 million in the United States. Although defined as a respiratory virus, early in the pandemic, it became apparent that considerable numbers of people recovering from COVID-19 illness experienced persistence or new onset of multi-system health problems, including neurologic and cognitive and behavioral health concerns. Persistent multi-system health problems are defined as Post-COVID-19 Condition (PCC), Post-Acute Sequelae of COVID-19, or Long COVID. A significant number of those with PCC report cognitive problems. This paper reviews the current state of scientific knowledge on persisting cognitive symptoms in adults following COVID-19 illness. A brief history is provided of the emergence of concerns about persisting cognitive problems following COVID-19 illness and the definition of PCC. Methodologic factors that complicate clear understanding of PCC are reviewed. The review then examines research on patterns of cognitive impairment that have been found, factors that may contribute to increased risk, behavioral health variables, and interventions being used to ameliorate persisting symptoms. Finally, recommendations are made about ways neuropsychologists can improve the quality of existing research.
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Affiliation(s)
- William Garmoe
- Director of Psychology, MedStar National Rehabilitation Network, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Kavitha Rao
- Clinical Neuropsychologist, MedStar Good Samaritan Hospital, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Bethany Gorter
- Neuropsychology Post-Doctoral Fellow, MedStar National Rehabilitation Hospital, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Rachel Kantor
- Neuropsychology Post-Doctoral Fellow, MedStar National Rehabilitation Hospital, Washington, DC, USA
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Martins WRM, Cardoso TV, Oliveira AL, Fernandes GS, Fontes IFL, Dantas JG, Miranda JDS, Martins JE, Antunes LN, Leite TG. Long COVID-19 and mnemonic effects: an integrative literature review. Rev Assoc Med Bras (1992) 2024; 70:e20231211. [PMID: 38656063 DOI: 10.1590/1806-9282.20231211] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2024] [Accepted: 01/24/2024] [Indexed: 04/26/2024]
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Gómez-Moyano E, Pavón-Morón J, Rodríguez-Capitán J, Bardán-Rebollar D, Ramos-Carrera T, Villalobos-Sánchez A, Pérez de Pedro I, Ruiz-García FJ, Mora-Robles J, López-Sampalo A, Pérez-Velasco MA, Bernal-López MR, Gómez-Huelgas R, Jiménez-Navarro M, Romero-Cuevas M, Costa F, Trenas A, Pérez-Belmonte LM. The Role of Heparin in Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome and Other Post-Acute Sequelae of COVID-19. J Clin Med 2024; 13:2405. [PMID: 38673677 PMCID: PMC11050777 DOI: 10.3390/jcm13082405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2024] [Revised: 04/11/2024] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
The therapeutic management and short-term consequences of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) are well known. However, COVID-19 post-acute sequelae are less known and represent a public health problem worldwide. Patients with COVID-19 who present post-acute sequelae may display immune dysregulation, a procoagulant state, and persistent microvascular endotheliopathy that could trigger microvascular thrombosis. These elements have also been implicated in the physiopathology of postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome, a frequent sequela in post-COVID-19 patients. These mechanisms, directly associated with post-acute sequelae, might determine the thrombotic consequences of COVID-19 and the need for early anticoagulation therapy. In this context, heparin has several potential benefits, including immunomodulatory, anticoagulant, antiviral, pro-endothelial, and vascular effects, that could be helpful in the treatment of COVID-19 post-acute sequelae. In this article, we review the evidence surrounding the post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 and the potential benefits of the use of heparin, with a special focus on the treatment of postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabeth Gómez-Moyano
- Servicio de Dermatología, Hospital Regional Universitario de Málaga, 29010 Málaga, Spain;
| | - Javier Pavón-Morón
- Servicio de Cardiología, Hospital Universitario Virgen de la Victoria, 29010 Málaga, Spain; (J.P.-M.); (M.J.-N.); (M.R.-C.)
- Centro de Investigación en Red de Enfermedades Cardiovasculares (CIBERCV), IBIMA-Plataforma BIONAND, Universidad de Málaga (UMA), 29010 Málaga, Spain;
| | - Jorge Rodríguez-Capitán
- Servicio de Cardiología, Hospital Universitario Virgen de la Victoria, 29010 Málaga, Spain; (J.P.-M.); (M.J.-N.); (M.R.-C.)
- Centro de Investigación en Red de Enfermedades Cardiovasculares (CIBERCV), IBIMA-Plataforma BIONAND, Universidad de Málaga (UMA), 29010 Málaga, Spain;
| | | | | | - Aurora Villalobos-Sánchez
- Servicio de Medicina Interna, Hospital Regional Universitario de Málaga, 29010 Málaga, Spain (I.P.d.P.); (A.L.-S.); (M.-R.B.-L.); (R.G.-H.)
| | - Iván Pérez de Pedro
- Servicio de Medicina Interna, Hospital Regional Universitario de Málaga, 29010 Málaga, Spain (I.P.d.P.); (A.L.-S.); (M.-R.B.-L.); (R.G.-H.)
| | | | - Javier Mora-Robles
- Servicio de Cardiología, Hospital Regional Universitario de Málaga, 29010 Málaga, Spain
| | - Almudena López-Sampalo
- Servicio de Medicina Interna, Hospital Regional Universitario de Málaga, 29010 Málaga, Spain (I.P.d.P.); (A.L.-S.); (M.-R.B.-L.); (R.G.-H.)
| | - Miguel A. Pérez-Velasco
- Servicio de Medicina Interna, Hospital Regional Universitario de Málaga, 29010 Málaga, Spain (I.P.d.P.); (A.L.-S.); (M.-R.B.-L.); (R.G.-H.)
| | - Maria-Rosa Bernal-López
- Servicio de Medicina Interna, Hospital Regional Universitario de Málaga, 29010 Málaga, Spain (I.P.d.P.); (A.L.-S.); (M.-R.B.-L.); (R.G.-H.)
- Centro de Investigación en Red Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y la Nutrtición (CIBERObn), IBIMA-Plataforma BIONAND, Universidad de Málaga (UMA), 29010 Málaga, Spain
| | - Ricardo Gómez-Huelgas
- Servicio de Medicina Interna, Hospital Regional Universitario de Málaga, 29010 Málaga, Spain (I.P.d.P.); (A.L.-S.); (M.-R.B.-L.); (R.G.-H.)
- Centro de Investigación en Red Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y la Nutrtición (CIBERObn), IBIMA-Plataforma BIONAND, Universidad de Málaga (UMA), 29010 Málaga, Spain
| | - Manuel Jiménez-Navarro
- Servicio de Cardiología, Hospital Universitario Virgen de la Victoria, 29010 Málaga, Spain; (J.P.-M.); (M.J.-N.); (M.R.-C.)
- Centro de Investigación en Red de Enfermedades Cardiovasculares (CIBERCV), IBIMA-Plataforma BIONAND, Universidad de Málaga (UMA), 29010 Málaga, Spain;
| | - Miguel Romero-Cuevas
- Servicio de Cardiología, Hospital Universitario Virgen de la Victoria, 29010 Málaga, Spain; (J.P.-M.); (M.J.-N.); (M.R.-C.)
- Centro de Investigación en Red de Enfermedades Cardiovasculares (CIBERCV), IBIMA-Plataforma BIONAND, Universidad de Málaga (UMA), 29010 Málaga, Spain;
| | - Francesco Costa
- Department of Biomedical and Dental Sciences and Morphological and Functional Imaging, University of Messina, A.O.U. Policlinic ‘G. Martino’, Via C. Valeria 1, 98165 Messina, Italy;
| | - Alicia Trenas
- Servicio de Medicina Interna, Área Sanitaria Norte de Málaga, Hospital de Antequera, 29200 Antequera, Spain;
| | - Luis M. Pérez-Belmonte
- Centro de Investigación en Red de Enfermedades Cardiovasculares (CIBERCV), IBIMA-Plataforma BIONAND, Universidad de Málaga (UMA), 29010 Málaga, Spain;
- Servicio de Medicina Interna, Hospital Regional Universitario de Málaga, 29010 Málaga, Spain (I.P.d.P.); (A.L.-S.); (M.-R.B.-L.); (R.G.-H.)
- Servicio de Medicina Interna, Hospital Helicópteros Sanitarios, 29660 Marbella, Spain
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11
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Yehia A, Abulseoud OA. Melatonin: a ferroptosis inhibitor with potential therapeutic efficacy for the post-COVID-19 trajectory of accelerated brain aging and neurodegeneration. Mol Neurodegener 2024; 19:36. [PMID: 38641847 PMCID: PMC11031980 DOI: 10.1186/s13024-024-00728-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 04/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/21/2024] Open
Abstract
The unprecedented pandemic of COVID-19 swept millions of lives in a short period, yet its menace continues among its survivors in the form of post-COVID syndrome. An exponentially growing number of COVID-19 survivors suffer from cognitive impairment, with compelling evidence of a trajectory of accelerated aging and neurodegeneration. The novel and enigmatic nature of this yet-to-unfold pathology demands extensive research seeking answers for both the molecular underpinnings and potential therapeutic targets. Ferroptosis, an iron-dependent cell death, is a strongly proposed underlying mechanism in post-COVID-19 aging and neurodegeneration discourse. COVID-19 incites neuroinflammation, iron dysregulation, reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation, antioxidant system repression, renin-angiotensin system (RAS) disruption, and clock gene alteration. These events pave the way for ferroptosis, which shows its signature in COVID-19, premature aging, and neurodegenerative disorders. In the search for a treatment, melatonin shines as a promising ferroptosis inhibitor with its repeatedly reported safety and tolerability. According to various studies, melatonin has proven efficacy in attenuating the severity of certain COVID-19 manifestations, validating its reputation as an anti-viral compound. Melatonin has well-documented anti-aging properties and combating neurodegenerative-related pathologies. Melatonin can block the leading events of ferroptosis since it is an efficient anti-inflammatory, iron chelator, antioxidant, angiotensin II antagonist, and clock gene regulator. Therefore, we propose ferroptosis as the culprit behind the post-COVID-19 trajectory of aging and neurodegeneration and melatonin, a well-fitting ferroptosis inhibitor, as a potential treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Asmaa Yehia
- Department of Neuroscience, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Phoenix, AZ, 58054, USA
- Department of Medical Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt
| | - Osama A Abulseoud
- Department of Neuroscience, Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Phoenix, AZ, 58054, USA.
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychology, Mayo Clinic Arizona, 5777 E Mayo Blvd, Phoenix, AZ, 85054, USA.
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12
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Andronescu LR, Richard SA, Scher AI, Lindholm DA, Mende K, Ganesan A, Huprikar N, Lalani T, Smith A, Mody RM, Jones MU, Bazan SE, Colombo RE, Colombo CJ, Ewers E, Larson DT, Maves RC, Berjohn CM, Maldonado CJ, English C, Sanchez Edwards M, Rozman JS, Rusiecki J, Byrne C, Simons MP, Tribble D, Burgess TH, Pollett SD, Agan BK. SARS-CoV-2 infection is associated with self-reported post-acute neuropsychological symptoms within six months of follow-up. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0297481. [PMID: 38626117 PMCID: PMC11020833 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0297481] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2022] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/18/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Chronic neuropsychological sequelae following SARS-CoV-2 infection, including depression, anxiety, fatigue, and general cognitive difficulties, are a major public health concern. Given the potential impact of long-term neuropsychological impairment, it is important to characterize the frequency and predictors of this post-infection phenotype. METHODS The Epidemiology, Immunology, and Clinical Characteristics of Emerging Infectious Diseases with Pandemic Potential (EPICC) study is a longitudinal study assessing the impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection in U.S. Military Healthcare System (MHS) beneficiaries, i.e. those eligible for care in the MHS including active duty servicemembers, dependents, and retirees. Four broad areas of neuropsychological symptoms were assessed cross-sectionally among subjects 1-6 months post-infection/enrollment, including: depression (Patient Health Questionnaire-9), anxiety (General Anxiety Disorder-7), fatigue (PROMIS® Fatigue 7a), and cognitive function (PROMIS® Cognitive Function 8a and PROMIS® Cognitive Function abilities 8a). Multivariable Poisson regression models compared participants with and without SARS-CoV-2 infection history on these measures, adjusting for sex, ethnicity, active-duty status, age, and months post-first positive or enrollment of questionnaire completion (MPFP/E); models for fatigue and cognitive function were also adjusted for depression and anxiety scores. RESULTS The study population included 2383 participants who completed all five instruments within six MPFP/E, of whom 687 (28.8%) had at least one positive SARS-CoV-2 test. Compared to those who had never tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, the positive group was more likely to meet instrument-based criteria for depression (15.4% vs 10.3%, p<0.001), fatigue (20.1% vs 8.0%, p<0.001), impaired cognitive function (15.7% vs 8.6%, p<0.001), and impaired cognitive function abilities (24.3% vs 16.3%, p<0.001). In multivariable models, SARS-CoV-2 positive participants, assessed at an average of 2.7 months after infection, had increased risk of moderate to severe depression (RR: 1.44, 95% CI 1.12-1.84), fatigue (RR: 2.07, 95% CI 1.62-2.65), impaired cognitive function (RR: 1.64, 95% CI 1.27-2.11), and impaired cognitive function abilities (RR: 1.41, 95% CI 1.15-1.71); MPFP/E was not significant. CONCLUSIONS Participants with a history of SARS-CoV-2 infection were up to twice as likely to report cognitive impairment and fatigue as the group without prior SARS-CoV-2 infection. These findings underscore the continued importance of preventing SARS-CoV-2 infection and while time since infection/enrollment was not significant through 6 months of follow-up, this highlights the need for additional research into the long-term impacts of COVID-19 to mitigate and reverse these neuropsychological outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liana R. Andronescu
- Department of Preventive Medicine and Biostatistics, Infectious Disease Clinical Research Program, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, United States of America
- Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc., Bethesda, MD, United States of America
| | - Stephanie A. Richard
- Department of Preventive Medicine and Biostatistics, Infectious Disease Clinical Research Program, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, United States of America
- Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc., Bethesda, MD, United States of America
| | - Ann I. Scher
- Department of Preventive Medicine and Biostatistics, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, United States of America
| | - David A. Lindholm
- Department of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, United States of America
- Brooke Army Medical Center, San Antonio, TX, United States of America
| | - Katrin Mende
- Department of Preventive Medicine and Biostatistics, Infectious Disease Clinical Research Program, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, United States of America
- Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc., Bethesda, MD, United States of America
- Brooke Army Medical Center, San Antonio, TX, United States of America
| | - Anuradha Ganesan
- Department of Preventive Medicine and Biostatistics, Infectious Disease Clinical Research Program, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, United States of America
- Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc., Bethesda, MD, United States of America
- Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, MD, United States of America
| | - Nikhil Huprikar
- Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, MD, United States of America
| | - Tahaniyat Lalani
- Department of Preventive Medicine and Biostatistics, Infectious Disease Clinical Research Program, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, United States of America
- Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc., Bethesda, MD, United States of America
- Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, Portsmouth, VA, United States of America
| | - Alfred Smith
- Naval Medical Center Portsmouth, Portsmouth, VA, United States of America
| | - Rupal M. Mody
- William Beaumont Army Medical Center, El Paso, TX, United States of America
| | - Milissa U. Jones
- Tripler Army Medical Center, Honolulu, HI, United States of America
| | - Samantha E. Bazan
- Carl R. Darnall Army Medical Center, Fort Hood, TX, United States of America
| | - Rhonda E. Colombo
- Department of Preventive Medicine and Biostatistics, Infectious Disease Clinical Research Program, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, United States of America
- Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc., Bethesda, MD, United States of America
- Department of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, United States of America
- Madigan Army Medical Center, Tacoma, WA, United States of America
| | - Christopher J. Colombo
- Department of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, United States of America
- Madigan Army Medical Center, Tacoma, WA, United States of America
| | - Evan Ewers
- Fort Belvoir Community Hospital, Fort Belvoir, VA, United States of America
| | - Derek T. Larson
- Fort Belvoir Community Hospital, Fort Belvoir, VA, United States of America
- Naval Medical Center San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States of America
| | - Ryan C. Maves
- Department of Preventive Medicine and Biostatistics, Infectious Disease Clinical Research Program, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, United States of America
- Naval Medical Center San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States of America
| | - Catherine M. Berjohn
- Department of Preventive Medicine and Biostatistics, Infectious Disease Clinical Research Program, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, United States of America
- Department of Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, United States of America
- Naval Medical Center San Diego, San Diego, CA, United States of America
| | | | - Caroline English
- Department of Preventive Medicine and Biostatistics, Infectious Disease Clinical Research Program, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, United States of America
- Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc., Bethesda, MD, United States of America
| | - Margaret Sanchez Edwards
- Department of Preventive Medicine and Biostatistics, Infectious Disease Clinical Research Program, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, United States of America
- Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc., Bethesda, MD, United States of America
| | - Julia S. Rozman
- Department of Preventive Medicine and Biostatistics, Infectious Disease Clinical Research Program, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, United States of America
- Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc., Bethesda, MD, United States of America
| | - Jennifer Rusiecki
- Department of Preventive Medicine and Biostatistics, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, United States of America
| | - Celia Byrne
- Department of Preventive Medicine and Biostatistics, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, United States of America
| | - Mark P. Simons
- Department of Preventive Medicine and Biostatistics, Infectious Disease Clinical Research Program, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, United States of America
| | - David Tribble
- Department of Preventive Medicine and Biostatistics, Infectious Disease Clinical Research Program, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, United States of America
| | - Timothy H. Burgess
- Department of Preventive Medicine and Biostatistics, Infectious Disease Clinical Research Program, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, United States of America
| | - Simon D. Pollett
- Department of Preventive Medicine and Biostatistics, Infectious Disease Clinical Research Program, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, United States of America
- Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc., Bethesda, MD, United States of America
| | - Brian K. Agan
- Department of Preventive Medicine and Biostatistics, Infectious Disease Clinical Research Program, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD, United States of America
- Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc., Bethesda, MD, United States of America
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13
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Costas-Carrera A, Sánchez-Rodríguez MM, Ojeda A, Rodríguez-Rey MA, Martín-Villalba I, Primé-Tous M, Valdesoiro-Pulido F, Segú X, Borras R, Clougher D, Peri JM, Vieta E. Neuropsychological functioning and its correlates at 1 year follow-up of severe COVID-19. Psychogeriatrics 2024. [PMID: 38576072 DOI: 10.1111/psyg.13113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2023] [Revised: 01/23/2024] [Accepted: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Short-term cognitive impairment is associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection but the long-term impact is yet to be examined in detail. We aim to study the evolution of these symptoms in severe COVID-19 patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) between April and December 2020 1 year after hospital discharge and to analyze its clinical correlates. METHOD A total of 58 patients agreed to participate in the 6 months follow-up and 30 at 1 year after hospital discharge. Demographic, clinical and laboratory data were collected and a comprehensive neuropsychological battery including validated tests for the main cognitive domains was administered. To test the magnitude of neurocognitive sequelae, two standard deviations below normative group were considered. To compare the neuropsychological performance at 6 and 12 months follow-up we used repeated measures tests. Finally, regression analyses were performed to test the main effects of medical and psychological factors on multiple cognition. RESULTS Almost half of the sample continued to have impaired performance on neuropsychological tests at 12 months follow-up. In comparison with the results obtained at 6 months, significant improvements were found in immediate recall (d = 0.49), delayed recall (d = 0.45), and inhibitory control (d = 0.53). Medical variables predicted cognitive performance at 6 months but not at 12 months follow-up, while anxiety and depression predicted cognitive deficits in the long-term. CONCLUSIONS A generalised improvement was observed in severe COVID-19 patients at follow-up. This improvement was particularly notable in verbal memory and executive functioning. However, a considerable proportion of the sample continued to present deficits at 1 year follow-up.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Antonio Ojeda
- Anaesthesiology Reanimation and Pain Therapy, Hospital Clinic, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | | | | | | | - Xavier Segú
- Neuroscience Institute, Hospital Clinic, Barcelona, Spain
| | - Roger Borras
- Institute of Biomedical Research Agusti Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
| | - Derek Clougher
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Eduard Vieta
- Neuroscience Institute, Hospital Clinic, Barcelona, Spain
- Institute of Biomedical Research Agusti Pi i Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Barcelona, Spain
- Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Salud Mental (CIBERSAM), Madrid, Spain
- School of Medicine, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
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14
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Zhao J, Xia F, Jiao X, Lyu X. Long COVID and its association with neurodegenerative diseases: pathogenesis, neuroimaging, and treatment. Front Neurol 2024; 15:1367974. [PMID: 38638307 PMCID: PMC11024438 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2024.1367974] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2024] [Accepted: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Corona Virus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), has presented unprecedented challenges to the world. Changes after acute COVID-19 have had a significant impact on patients with neurodegenerative diseases. This study aims to explore the mechanism of neurodegenerative diseases by examining the main pathways of central nervous system infection of SARS-CoV-2. Research has indicated that chronic inflammation and abnormal immune response are the primary factors leading to neuronal damage and long-term consequences of COVID-19. In some COVID-19 patients, the concurrent inflammatory response leads to increased release of pro-inflammatory cytokines, which may significantly impact the prognosis. Molecular imaging can accurately assess the severity of neurodegenerative diseases in patients with COVID-19 after the acute phase. Furthermore, the use of FDG-PET is advocated to quantify the relationship between neuroinflammation and psychiatric and cognitive symptoms in patients who have recovered from COVID-19. Future development should focus on aggressive post-infection control of inflammation and the development of targeted therapies that target ACE2 receptors, ERK1/2, and Ca2+.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jinyang Zhao
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinzhou Medical University, Jinzhou, China
| | - Fan Xia
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinzhou Medical University, Jinzhou, China
| | - Xue Jiao
- Department of Respiratory, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinzhou Medical University, Jinzhou, China
| | - Xiaohong Lyu
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Jinzhou Medical University, Jinzhou, China
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15
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Barilaite E, Watson H, Hocaoglu MB. Understanding Patient-Reported Outcome Measures Used in Adult Survivors Experiencing Long-Term Effects After COVID-19 Infection: A Rapid Review. J Patient Cent Res Rev 2024; 11:36-50. [PMID: 38596351 PMCID: PMC11000699 DOI: 10.17294/2330-0698.2041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/11/2024] Open
Abstract
Purpose Patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) are used in individuals experiencing long-term effects from COVID-19 infection, or Long COVID, to evaluate the quality of life and functional status of these individuals. However, little is known about which PROMs are being utilised and the psychometric properties of these PROMs. Our purpose was thus to explore which PROMs are used in Long COVID patients and to discuss the psychometric properties of the PROMs. Methods For this rapid review, a systematic literature search was performed in the PubMed, Embase, and CINAHL databases. The found studies were screened using the PRISMA flowchart. We then performed study quality appraisal and assessed the psychometric properties of the found PROMs. Results Per the systematic literature search and after removal of duplicates, 157 publications were identified for individual screening. After screening and eligibility assessment, 74 articles were selected for our review. In total, 74 PROMs were used and primarily comprised quality of life, fatigue, breathlessness, mental health, and smell/taste issues in COVID "long haulers." Five studies used newly developed, COVID-19-specific PROMs. We assessed the psychometric properties of the 10 most-used PROMs. The majority were found to be reliable and valid instruments. EQ-5D-5L was the most popular and highly rated PROM. Conclusions We assessed PROMs used in Long COVID patients and evaluated their psychometric properties. EQ-5D-5L was the most favourably rated PROM. PROMs addressing mental health issues are crucial in managing anxiety and depression in Long COVID patients. New COVID-specific PROMs assess functional status and smell/taste perception and show great utilisation potential in olfactory training at COVID smell clinics. However, many reviewed PROMs currently lack sufficient analysis of their psychometric properties. Therefore, future research needs to examine these measures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Egle Barilaite
- Cicely Saunders Institute of Palliative Care, Policy & Rehabilitation, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Harry Watson
- Cicely Saunders Institute of Palliative Care, Policy & Rehabilitation, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Mevhibe B Hocaoglu
- Cicely Saunders Institute of Palliative Care, Policy & Rehabilitation, King's College London, London, United Kingdom
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16
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Eligulashvili A, Darrell M, Gordon M, Jerome W, Fiori KP, Congdon S, Duong TQ. Patients with unmet social needs are at higher risks of developing severe long COVID-19 symptoms and neuropsychiatric sequela. Sci Rep 2024; 14:7743. [PMID: 38565574 PMCID: PMC10987523 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-58430-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2023] [Accepted: 03/29/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
This study investigated long COVID of patients in the Montefiore Health System COVID-19 (CORE) Clinics in the Bronx with an emphasis on identifying health related social needs (HRSNs). We analyzed a cohort of 643 CORE patients (6/26/2020-2/24/2023) and 52,089 non-CORE COVID-19 patients. Outcomes included symptoms, physical, emotional, and cognitive function test scores obtained at least three months post-infection. Socioeconomic variables included median incomes, insurance status, and HRSNs. The CORE cohort was older age (53.38 ± 14.50 vs. 45.91 ± 23.79 years old, p < 0.001), more female (72.47% vs. 56.86%, p < 0.001), had higher prevalence of hypertension (45.88% vs. 23.28%, p < 0.001), diabetes (22.86% vs. 13.83%, p < 0.001), COPD (7.15% vs. 2.28%, p < 0.001), asthma (25.51% vs. 12.66%, p < 0.001), lower incomes (53.81% vs. 43.67%, 1st quintile, p < 0.001), and more unmet social needs (29.81% vs. 18.49%, p < 0.001) compared to non-CORE COVID-19 survivors. CORE patients reported a wide range of severe long-COVID symptoms. CORE patients with unmet HRSNs experienced more severe symptoms, worse ESAS-r scores (tiredness, wellbeing, shortness of breath, and pain), PHQ-9 scores (12.5 (6, 17.75) vs. 7 (2, 12), p < 0.001), and GAD-7 scores (8.5 (3, 15) vs. 4 (0, 9), p < 0.001) compared to CORE patients without. Patients with unmet HRSNs experienced worse long-COVID outcomes compared to those without.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Eligulashvili
- Department of Radiology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Medical Center, 1300 Morris Park Avenue, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA
| | - Megan Darrell
- Department of Radiology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Medical Center, 1300 Morris Park Avenue, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA
| | - Moshe Gordon
- Department of Radiology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Medical Center, 1300 Morris Park Avenue, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA
| | - William Jerome
- Department of Radiology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Medical Center, 1300 Morris Park Avenue, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA
| | - Kevin P Fiori
- Department of Pediatrics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Seth Congdon
- Department of Medicine, Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY, USA
| | - Tim Q Duong
- Department of Radiology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Medical Center, 1300 Morris Park Avenue, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA.
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17
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Eligulashvili A, Gordon M, Lee JS, Lee J, Mehrotra-Varma S, Mehrotra-Varma J, Hsu K, Hilliard I, Lee K, Li A, Essibayi MA, Yee J, Altschul DJ, Eskandar E, Mehler MF, Duong TQ. Long-term outcomes of hospitalized patients with SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 with and without neurological involvement: 3-year follow-up assessment. PLoS Med 2024; 21:e1004263. [PMID: 38573873 PMCID: PMC10994395 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1004263] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/06/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Acute neurological manifestation is a common complication of acute Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) disease. This retrospective cohort study investigated the 3-year outcomes of patients with and without significant neurological manifestations during initial COVID-19 hospitalization. METHODS AND FINDINGS Patients hospitalized for Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection between 03/01/2020 and 4/16/2020 in the Montefiore Health System in the Bronx, an epicenter of the early pandemic, were included. Follow-up data was captured up to 01/23/2023 (3 years post-COVID-19). This cohort consisted of 414 patients with COVID-19 with significant neurological manifestations and 1,199 propensity-matched patients (for age and COVID-19 severity score) with COVID-19 without neurological manifestations. Neurological involvement during the acute phase included acute stroke, new or recrudescent seizures, anatomic brain lesions, presence of altered mentation with evidence for impaired cognition or arousal, and neuro-COVID-19 complex (headache, anosmia, ageusia, chemesthesis, vertigo, presyncope, paresthesias, cranial nerve abnormalities, ataxia, dysautonomia, and skeletal muscle injury with normal orientation and arousal signs). There were no significant group differences in female sex composition (44.93% versus 48.21%, p = 0.249), ICU and IMV status, white, not Hispanic (6.52% versus 7.84%, p = 0.380), and Hispanic (33.57% versus 38.20%, p = 0.093), except black non-Hispanic (42.51% versus 36.03%, p = 0.019). Primary outcomes were mortality, stroke, heart attack, major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), reinfection, and hospital readmission post-discharge. Secondary outcomes were neuroimaging findings (hemorrhage, active and prior stroke, mass effect, microhemorrhages, white matter changes, microvascular disease (MVD), and volume loss). More patients in the neurological cohort were discharged to acute rehabilitation (10.39% versus 3.34%, p < 0.001) or skilled nursing facilities (35.75% versus 25.35%, p < 0.001) and fewer to home (50.24% versus 66.64%, p < 0.001) than matched controls. Incidence of readmission for any reason (65.70% versus 60.72%, p = 0.036), stroke (6.28% versus 2.34%, p < 0.001), and MACE (20.53% versus 16.51%, p = 0.032) was higher in the neurological cohort post-discharge. Per Kaplan-Meier univariate survival curve analysis, such patients in the neurological cohort were more likely to die post-discharge compared to controls (hazard ratio: 2.346, (95% confidence interval (CI) [1.586, 3.470]; p < 0.001)). Across both cohorts, the major causes of death post-discharge were heart disease (13.79% neurological, 15.38% control), sepsis (8.63%, 17.58%), influenza and pneumonia (13.79%, 9.89%), COVID-19 (10.34%, 7.69%), and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) (10.34%, 6.59%). Factors associated with mortality after leaving the hospital involved the neurological cohort (odds ratio (OR): 1.802 (95% CI [1.237, 2.608]; p = 0.002)), discharge disposition (OR: 1.508 (95% CI [1.276, 1.775]; p < 0.001)), congestive heart failure (OR: 2.281 (95% CI [1.429, 3.593]; p < 0.001)), higher COVID-19 severity score (OR: 1.177 (95% CI [1.062, 1.304]; p = 0.002)), and older age (OR: 1.027 (95% CI [1.010, 1.044]; p = 0.002)). There were no group differences in radiological findings, except that the neurological cohort showed significantly more age-adjusted brain volume loss (p = 0.045) than controls. The study's patient cohort was limited to patients infected with COVID-19 during the first wave of the pandemic, when hospitals were overburdened, vaccines were not yet available, and treatments were limited. Patient profiles might differ when interrogating subsequent waves. CONCLUSIONS Patients with COVID-19 with neurological manifestations had worse long-term outcomes compared to matched controls. These findings raise awareness and the need for closer monitoring and timely interventions for patients with COVID-19 with neurological manifestations, as their disease course involving initial neurological manifestations is associated with enhanced morbidity and mortality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Eligulashvili
- Department of Radiology, Montefiore Health System and Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, United States of America
| | - Moshe Gordon
- Department of Radiology, Montefiore Health System and Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, United States of America
| | - Jimmy S. Lee
- Department of Radiology, Montefiore Health System and Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, United States of America
| | - Jeylin Lee
- Department of Radiology, Montefiore Health System and Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, United States of America
| | - Shiv Mehrotra-Varma
- Department of Radiology, Montefiore Health System and Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, United States of America
| | - Jai Mehrotra-Varma
- Department of Radiology, Montefiore Health System and Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, United States of America
| | - Kevin Hsu
- Department of Radiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, New York, United States of America
| | - Imanyah Hilliard
- Department of Radiology, Montefiore Health System and Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, United States of America
| | - Kristen Lee
- Department of Radiology, Montefiore Health System and Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, United States of America
| | - Arleen Li
- Department of Radiology, Montefiore Health System and Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, United States of America
| | - Muhammed Amir Essibayi
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Montefiore Health System and Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, United States of America
| | - Judy Yee
- Department of Radiology, Montefiore Health System and Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, United States of America
| | - David J. Altschul
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Montefiore Health System and Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, United States of America
| | - Emad Eskandar
- Department of Neurological Surgery, Montefiore Health System and Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, United States of America
| | - Mark F. Mehler
- Department of Neurology, Montefiore Health System and Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, United States of America
| | - Tim Q. Duong
- Department of Radiology, Montefiore Health System and Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, United States of America
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18
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Bougea A, Georgakopoulou VE, Lempesis IG, Fotakopoulos G, Papalexis P, Sklapani P, Trakas N, Spandidos DA, Angelopoulou E. Role of microRNAs in cognitive decline related to COVID‑19 (Review). Exp Ther Med 2024; 27:139. [PMID: 38476899 PMCID: PMC10928821 DOI: 10.3892/etm.2024.12427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/14/2024] Open
Abstract
The likelihood and severity of cognitive decline related to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have been shown to be reflected by the severity of the infection and concomitant alterations in specific biomarkers. The present review discusses the role of microRNAs (miRNAs/miRs) as biomarkers in COVID-19 and the potential molecular mechanisms of cognitive dysfunction related to COVID-19. A systematic search of published articles was carried out from January 31, 2000 to December 31, 2022 using the PubMed, ProQuest, Science Direct and Google Scholar databases, combining the following terms: 'COVID-19' OR 'SARS-CoV-2' OR 'post-COVID-19 effects' OR 'cognitive decline' OR 'neurodegeneration' OR 'microRNAs'. The quality of the evidence was evaluated as high, moderate, low, or very low based on the GRADE rating. A total of 36 studies were identified which demonstrated reduced blood levels of miR-146a, miR-155, Let-7b, miR 31 and miR-21 in patients with COVID-19 in comparison with a healthy group. The overexpression of the Let-7b may result in the downregulation of BCL-2 during COVID-9 by adjusting the immune responses between chronic inflammatory disease, type 2 diabetes, COVID-19 and cognitive impairment. The reduced expression of miR-31 is associated with cognitive dysfunction and increased microcoagulability in patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). miR-155 mediates synaptic dysfunction and the dysregulation of neurotransmitters due to acute inflammation, leading to brain atrophy and a subcortical cognitive profile. The downregulation of miR-21 in patients with COVID-19 aggravates systemic inflammation, mediating an uncontrollable immune response and the failure of T-cell function, provoking cognitive impairment in patients with SARS-CoV-2. On the whole, the present review indicates that dysregulated levels of miR-146a, miR-155, Let-7b, miR-31, and miR-21 in the blood of individuals with COVID-19 are associated with cognitive decline, the chronic activation of immune mechanisms, the cytokine storm, and the vicious cycle of damage and systemic inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasia Bougea
- 1st Department of Neurology, Eginition Hospital, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11528 Athens, Greece
| | | | - Ioannis G. Lempesis
- Department of Pathophysiology, Laiko General Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
| | - George Fotakopoulos
- Department of Neurosurgery, General University Hospital of Larissa, 41221 Larissa, Greece
| | - Petros Papalexis
- Unit of Endocrinology, First Department of Internal Medicine, Laiko General Hospital, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11527 Athens, Greece
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of West Attica, 12243 Athens, Greece
| | - Pagona Sklapani
- Department of Biochemistry, Sismanogleio Hospital, 15126 Athens, Greece
| | - Nikolaos Trakas
- Department of Biochemistry, Sismanogleio Hospital, 15126 Athens, Greece
| | - Demetrios A. Spandidos
- Laboratory of Clinical Virology, School of Medicine, University of Crete, 71003 Heraklion, Greece
| | - Efthalia Angelopoulou
- 1st Department of Neurology, Eginition Hospital, School of Medicine, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, 11528 Athens, Greece
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19
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Pulliam L, Sun B, McCafferty E, Soper SA, Witek MA, Hu M, Ford JM, Song S, Kapogiannis D, Glesby MJ, Merenstein D, Tien PC, Freasier H, French A, McKay H, Diaz MM, Ofotokun I, Lake JE, Margolick JB, Kim EY, Levine SR, Fischl MA, Li W, Martinson J, Tang N. Microfluidic Isolation of Neuronal-Enriched Extracellular Vesicles Shows Distinct and Common Neurological Proteins in Long COVID, HIV Infection and Alzheimer's Disease. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:3830. [PMID: 38612641 PMCID: PMC11011771 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25073830] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2024] [Revised: 03/16/2024] [Accepted: 03/21/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Long COVID (LongC) is associated with a myriad of symptoms including cognitive impairment. We reported at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic that neuronal-enriched or L1CAM+ extracellular vesicles (nEVs) from people with LongC contained proteins associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Since that time, a subset of people with prior COVID infection continue to report neurological problems more than three months after infection. Blood markers to better characterize LongC are elusive. To further identify neuronal proteins associated with LongC, we maximized the number of nEVs isolated from plasma by developing a hybrid EV Microfluidic Affinity Purification (EV-MAP) technique. We isolated nEVs from people with LongC and neurological complaints, AD, and HIV infection with mild cognitive impairment. Using the OLINK platform that assesses 384 neurological proteins, we identified 11 significant proteins increased in LongC and 2 decreased (BST1, GGT1). Fourteen proteins were increased in AD and forty proteins associated with HIV cognitive impairment were elevated with one decreased (IVD). One common protein (BST1) was decreased in LongC and increased in HIV. Six proteins (MIF, ENO1, MESD, NUDT5, TNFSF14 and FYB1) were expressed in both LongC and AD and no proteins were common to HIV and AD. This study begins to identify differences and similarities in the neuronal response to LongC versus AD and HIV infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lynn Pulliam
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, San Francisco VA Health Care System, San Francisco, CA 94121, USA; (B.S.); (E.M.); (N.T.)
| | - Bing Sun
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, San Francisco VA Health Care System, San Francisco, CA 94121, USA; (B.S.); (E.M.); (N.T.)
| | - Erin McCafferty
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, San Francisco VA Health Care System, San Francisco, CA 94121, USA; (B.S.); (E.M.); (N.T.)
| | - Steven A. Soper
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA; (S.A.S.); (M.A.W.)
- Center of BioModular Multiscale Systems for Precision Medicine, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA
- Cancer Biology, The University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66103, USA;
- Bioengineering Program, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA
| | - Malgorzata A. Witek
- Department of Chemistry, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA; (S.A.S.); (M.A.W.)
- Center of BioModular Multiscale Systems for Precision Medicine, The University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045, USA
- Cancer Biology, The University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66103, USA;
| | - Mengjia Hu
- Cancer Biology, The University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66103, USA;
| | - Judith M. Ford
- Department of Mental Health, San Francisco VA Health Care System, San Francisco, CA 94121, USA; (J.M.F.); (S.S.)
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA
| | - Sarah Song
- Department of Mental Health, San Francisco VA Health Care System, San Francisco, CA 94121, USA; (J.M.F.); (S.S.)
| | - Dimitrios Kapogiannis
- Laboratory of Clinical Investigation, Intramural Research Program, National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, Baltimore, MD 20892, USA;
| | - Marshall J. Glesby
- Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medical College, New York City, NY 10021, USA;
| | - Daniel Merenstein
- Department of Family Medicine, Georgetown University School of Medicine, Washington, DC 20007, USA;
| | - Phyllis C. Tien
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; (P.C.T.); (H.F.)
- Department of Medicine, San Francisco VA Health Care System, San Francisco, CA 94121, USA
| | - Heather Freasier
- Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA; (P.C.T.); (H.F.)
| | - Audrey French
- Department of Medicine, Cook County Health, Chicago, IL 60612, USA;
| | - Heather McKay
- Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA;
| | - Monica M. Diaz
- Department of Neurology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA;
| | - Igho Ofotokun
- Department of Medicine, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA;
| | - Jordan E. Lake
- Department of Internal Medicine, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, TX 77030, USA;
| | - Joseph B. Margolick
- Department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA;
| | - Eun-Young Kim
- Department of Medicine, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL 60611, USA;
| | - Steven R. Levine
- Department of Neurology, State University of New York College of Medicine and Downstate Medical Sciences University, Brooklyn, NY 11203, USA;
| | | | - Wei Li
- Department of Clinical and Diagnostic Sciences, University of Alabama, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA;
| | - Jeremy Martinson
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Microbiology, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA;
| | - Norina Tang
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, San Francisco VA Health Care System, San Francisco, CA 94121, USA; (B.S.); (E.M.); (N.T.)
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20
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Rudroff T. Decoding Post-Viral Fatigue: The Basal Ganglia's Complex Role in Long-COVID. Neurol Int 2024; 16:380-393. [PMID: 38668125 PMCID: PMC11054322 DOI: 10.3390/neurolint16020028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2024] [Revised: 03/20/2024] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Long-COVID afflicts millions with relentless fatigue, disrupting daily life. The objective of this narrative review is to synthesize current evidence on the role of the basal ganglia in long-COVID fatigue, discuss potential mechanisms, and highlight promising therapeutic interventions. A comprehensive literature search was conducted using PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science databases. Mounting evidence from PET, MRI, and functional connectivity data reveals basal ganglia disturbances in long-COVID exhaustion, including inflammation, metabolic disruption, volume changes, and network alterations focused on striatal dopamine circuitry regulating motivation. Theories suggest inflammation-induced signaling disturbances could impede effort/reward valuation, disrupt cortical-subcortical motivational pathways, or diminish excitatory input to arousal centers, attenuating drive initiation. Recent therapeutic pilots targeting basal ganglia abnormalities show provisional efficacy. However, heterogeneous outcomes, inconsistent metrics, and perceived versus objective fatigue discrepancies temper insights. Despite the growing research, gaps remain in understanding the precise pathways linking basal ganglia dysfunction to fatigue and validating treatment efficacy. Further research is needed to advance understanding of the basal ganglia's contribution to long-COVID neurological sequelae and offer hope for improving function across the expanding affected population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thorsten Rudroff
- Department of Health and Human Physiology, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA; ; Tel.: +1-(319)-467-0363; Fax: +1-(319)-355-6669
- Department of Neurology, University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics, Iowa City, IA 52242, USA
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21
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Sharma AA, Nenert R, Goodman AM, Szaflarski JP. Brain temperature and free water increases after mild COVID-19 infection. Sci Rep 2024; 14:7450. [PMID: 38548815 PMCID: PMC10978935 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-57561-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 03/19/2024] [Indexed: 04/01/2024] Open
Abstract
The pathophysiology underlying the post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 remains understudied and poorly understood, particularly in healthy adults with a history of mild infection. Chronic neuroinflammation may underlie these enduring symptoms, but studying neuroinflammatory phenomena in vivo is challenging, especially without a comparable pre-COVID-19 dataset. In this study, we present a unique dataset of 10 otherwise healthy individuals scanned before and after experiencing mild COVID-19. Two emerging MR-based methods were used to map pre- to post-COVID-19 brain temperature and free water changes. Post-COVID-19 brain temperature and free water increases, which are indirect biomarkers of neuroinflammation, were found in structures functionally associated with olfactory, cognitive, and memory processing. The largest pre- to post-COVID brain temperature increase was observed in the left olfactory tubercle (p = 0.007, 95% CI [0.48, 3.01]), with a mean increase of 1.75 °C. Notably, the olfactory tubercle is also the region of the primary olfactory cortex where participants with chronic olfactory dysfunction showed the most pronounced increases as compared to those without lingering olfactory dysfunction (adjusted pFDR = 0.0189, 95% CI [1.42, 5.27]). These preliminary insights suggest a potential link between neuroinflammation and chronic cognitive and olfactory dysfunction following mild COVID-19, although further investigations are needed to improve our understanding of what underlies these phenomena.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ayushe A Sharma
- Department of Neurology, UAB Epilepsy Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), 1719 6th Avenue South, CIRC 312, Birmingham, AL, 35294-0021, USA.
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), Birmingham, AL, USA.
| | - Rodolphe Nenert
- Department of Neurology, UAB Epilepsy Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), 1719 6th Avenue South, CIRC 312, Birmingham, AL, 35294-0021, USA
| | - Adam M Goodman
- Department of Neurology, UAB Epilepsy Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), 1719 6th Avenue South, CIRC 312, Birmingham, AL, 35294-0021, USA
| | - Jerzy P Szaflarski
- Department of Neurology, UAB Epilepsy Center, University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), 1719 6th Avenue South, CIRC 312, Birmingham, AL, 35294-0021, USA.
- Department of Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), Birmingham, AL, USA.
- Department of Neurosurgery, University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), Birmingham, AL, USA.
- University of Alabama at Birmingham Epilepsy Center (UABEC), Birmingham, AL, USA.
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22
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Vasilevska V, Guest PC, Szardenings M, Benros ME, Steiner J. Possible temporal relationship between SARS-CoV-2 infection and anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis: a meta-analysis. Transl Psychiatry 2024; 14:139. [PMID: 38459000 PMCID: PMC10923949 DOI: 10.1038/s41398-024-02831-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2023] [Revised: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 03/10/2024] Open
Abstract
The global impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection has raised concerns about secondary diseases beyond acute illness. This review explores the significance and potential underlying mechanisms of how SARS-CoV-2 infection might elicit an immune response targeting N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors, and its implications for autoimmune-driven neuropsychiatric manifestations. We identified 19 published case reports of NMDA receptor encephalitis associated with SARS-CoV-2 infection or vaccination by a systematic literature search. The significance of these reports was limited since it is not clear if a coincidental or causal relationship exists between SARS-CoV-2 infection or vaccination and manifestation of NMDA receptor encephalitis. The included studies were hampered by difficulties in establishing if these patients had pre-existing NMDA receptor antibodies which entered the brain by infection- or vaccination-associated transient blood-brain barrier leakage. In addition, four cases had comorbid ovarian teratoma, which is a known trigger for development of NMDA receptor encephalitis. Considering that billions of people have contracted COVID-19 or have been vaccinated against this virus, the publication of only 19 case reports with a possible link to NMDA receptor encephalitis, indicates that it is rare. In conclusion, these findings do not support the case that SARS-CoV-2 infection or vaccination led to an increase of existing or de novo encephalitis mediated by an autoimmune response targeting NMDA receptor function. Nevertheless, this work underscores the importance of ongoing vigilance in monitoring viral outbreaks and their potential impact on the central nervous system through basic, epidemiological and translational research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronika Vasilevska
- Department of Psychiatry, Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
- Laboratory of Translational Psychiatry, Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Paul C Guest
- Department of Psychiatry, Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
- Laboratory of Translational Psychiatry, Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
- Laboratory of Neuroproteomics, Department of Biochemistry and Tissue Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, Brazil
| | - Michael Szardenings
- Ligand Development Unit, Fraunhofer Institute of Cell Therapy and Immunology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Michael E Benros
- Copenhagen Research Centre for Mental Health, Mental Health Center Copenhagen, Copenhagen University Hospital, Hellerup, Denmark
| | - Johann Steiner
- Department of Psychiatry, Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany.
- Laboratory of Translational Psychiatry, Otto-von-Guericke-University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany.
- Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences (CBBS), Magdeburg, Germany.
- Center for Health and Medical Prevention (CHaMP), Magdeburg, Germany.
- German Center for Mental Health (DZPG), Partner Site Halle-Jena-Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany.
- Center for Intervention and Research on Adaptive and Maladaptive Brain Circuits Underlying Mental Health (C-I-R-C), Halle-Jena-Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany.
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23
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Williams GP, Yu ED, Shapiro K, Wang E, Freuchet A, Frazier A, Lindestam Arlehamn CS, Sette A, da Silva Antunes R. Investigating viral and autoimmune T cell responses associated with post-acute sequelae of COVID-19. Hum Immunol 2024:110770. [PMID: 38433036 DOI: 10.1016/j.humimm.2024.110770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2023] [Revised: 02/26/2024] [Accepted: 02/26/2024] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
Post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC), or Long COVID, is a chronic condition following acute SARS-CoV-2 infection. Symptoms include exertion fatigue, respiratory issues, myalgia, and neurological manifestations such as 'brain fog,' posing concern for their debilitating nature and potential role in other neurological disorders. However, the underlying potential pathogenic mechanisms of the neurological complications of PASC is largely unknown. Herein, we investigated differences in antigen-specific T cell responses from the peripheral blood towards SARS-CoV-2, latent viruses, or neuronal antigens in 14 PASC individuals with neurological manifestations (PASC-N) versus 22 individuals fully recovered from COVID-19. We employed Activation Induced Marker (AIM), ICS and FluoroSpot assays to determine the specificity and magnitude of CD4+ and CD8+ T cell responses towards SARS-CoV-2 (Spike and rest of proteome), latent viruses (CMV, EBV), and several neuronal antigens. Overall, we observed similar antigen-specific T cell frequencies and cytokine effector T cell responses between PASC donors compared to recovered controls for all antigens tested (viral or autoantigen) in both CD4+ and CD8+ T cell compartments. Our findings suggest that PASC-N does not appear to be associated with changes in antigen-specific T cell responses towards a subset of disease-relevant targets, but more studies in a larger cohort are needed to confirm these unaltered responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory P Williams
- Division of Vaccine Discovery, La Jolla Institute for Immunology, La Jolla, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Esther Dawen Yu
- Division of Vaccine Discovery, La Jolla Institute for Immunology, La Jolla, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Kendra Shapiro
- Division of Vaccine Discovery, La Jolla Institute for Immunology, La Jolla, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Eric Wang
- Division of Vaccine Discovery, La Jolla Institute for Immunology, La Jolla, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - Antoine Freuchet
- Division of Vaccine Discovery, La Jolla Institute for Immunology, La Jolla, San Diego, CA, USA
| | - April Frazier
- Division of Vaccine Discovery, La Jolla Institute for Immunology, La Jolla, San Diego, CA, USA
| | | | - Alessandro Sette
- Division of Vaccine Discovery, La Jolla Institute for Immunology, La Jolla, San Diego, CA, USA; University of California San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, San Diego, CA, USA
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24
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Rittmannsberger H, Barth M, Lamprecht B, Malik P, Yazdi-Zorn K. [Interaction of somatic findings and psychiatric symptoms in COVID-19. A scoping review]. Neuropsychiatr 2024; 38:1-23. [PMID: 38055146 DOI: 10.1007/s40211-023-00487-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2022] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 12/07/2023]
Abstract
An infection with SARS-CoV‑2 can affect the central nervous system, leading to neurological as well as psychiatric symptoms. In this respect, mechanisms of inflammation seem to be of much greater importance than the virus itself. This paper deals with the possible contributions of organic changes to psychiatric symptomatology and deals especially with delirium, cognitive symptoms, depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorder and psychosis. Processes of neuroinflammation with infection of capillary endothelial cells and activation of microglia and astrocytes releasing high amounts of cytokines seem to be of key importance in all kinds of disturbances. They can lead to damage in grey and white matter, impairment of cerebral metabolism and loss of connectivity. Such neuroimmunological processes have been described as a organic basis for many psychiatric disorders, as affective disorders, psychoses and dementia. As the activation of the glia cells can persist for a long time after the offending agent has been cleared, this can contribute to long term sequalae of the infection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hans Rittmannsberger
- Abteilung Psychiatrie und psychotherapeutische Medizin, Pyhrn-Eisenwurzen Klinikum Steyr, Steyr, Österreich.
| | - Martin Barth
- Abteilung Psychiatrie und psychotherapeutische Medizin, Pyhrn-Eisenwurzen Klinikum Steyr, Steyr, Österreich
| | - Bernd Lamprecht
- Med Campus III, Universitätsklinik für Innere Medizin mit Schwerpunkt Pneumologie, Kepler Universitätsklinikum GmbH, Linz, Österreich
- Medizinische Fakultät, Johannes Kepler Universität Linz, Linz, Österreich
| | - Peter Malik
- Abteilung Psychiatrie und psychotherapeutische Medizin, Pyhrn-Eisenwurzen Klinikum Steyr, Steyr, Österreich
| | - Kurosch Yazdi-Zorn
- Neuromed Campus, Klinik für Psychiatrie mit Schwerpunkt Suchtmedizin, Kepler Universitätsklinikum GmbH, Linz, Österreich
- Medizinische Fakultät, Johannes Kepler Universität Linz, Linz, Österreich
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25
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Suárez D, Pascual E, Soravilla JR. [Long covid and disability]. Semergen 2024; 50:102189. [PMID: 38277734 DOI: 10.1016/j.semerg.2023.102189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/14/2023] [Revised: 11/07/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 01/28/2024]
Abstract
Long covid is a health problem that will entail a high hidden cost attributable to the pandemic years after it because it affects the work capacity of many workers. Given the millions of covid-19 cases worldwide and current research showing that one in 7covid-19 patients remain symptomatic at 12 weeks, the number of long covid patients is likely to be substantial. Long covid is characterized by heterogeneous sequelae that often affect multiple systems, organs with an impact on the functioning and capacity of the worker. Workers with long covid symptoms can return to their occupation but this involves a complex individualized approach to the impact of symptoms on work, adjustments and modifications to the workplace. Patients with long covid typically report prolonged multisystem involvement and signicant disability. The psychological cost to the worker must also be addressed. A survey by the Community of Madrid (CCOO, SATSE, CSIF, AMYTS) in 2022 reveals that 24.5% of those affected by long covid were sick for more than 12 months; 30% of those affected by persistent covid need and adaption to their workplace. In Spain, more than 10million people infected with SARS-CoV-2 have been reported since the pandemic began, so it is estimated that there could be one million people with persistent covid. In 2021 alone there were more than 2.6 million sick leave due to covid-19 in Spain, the average duration of which was 10 days. One hundred million people around the world suffer from persistent covid, but few countries officially count them, nor do they help those affected with employment. In advanced countries, like the United States, long covid is treated as a disability,and the number of people with disabilities working or looking for work increased by 1.36 million, an increase of 23%, between January 2021 and January 2022. In the United Kingdom, some 200,000 people are not working or are not looking for work due to long-term health problems attributable to long covid, since the pandemic began.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Suárez
- Medicina de Familia, Centro de salud de Benejúzar, Alicante, España.
| | - E Pascual
- Medicina de Familia, Centro de salud de Pamplona, Pamplona, España
| | - J R Soravilla
- Medicina del Trabajo, Clínica Soravilla Los Sauces, Alicante, España
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26
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Kiyak C, Ijezie OA, Ackah JA, Armstrong M, Cowen J, Cetinkaya D, Burianová H, Akudjedu TN. Topographical Distribution of Neuroanatomical Abnormalities Following COVID-19 Invasion : A Systematic Literature Review. Clin Neuroradiol 2024; 34:13-31. [PMID: 37697012 PMCID: PMC10881816 DOI: 10.1007/s00062-023-01344-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2023] [Accepted: 08/14/2023] [Indexed: 09/13/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE This systematic review is aimed at synthesising the literature base to date on the frequency and topographical distribution of neuroanatomical changes seen on imaging following COVID-19 invasion with a focus on both the acute and chronic phases of the disease. METHODS In this study, 8 databases were systematically searched to identify relevant articles published from December 2019 to March 2022 and supplemented with a manual reference search. Data were extracted from the included studies and narrative synthesis was employed to integrate the findings. RESULTS A total of 110 studies met the inclusion criteria and comprised 119,307 participants (including 31,073 acute and 143 long COVID-19 patients manifesting neurological alterations) and controls. Considerable variability in both the localisation and nature of neuroanatomical abnormalities are noted along the continuum with a wide range of neuropathologies relating to the cerebrovascular/neurovascular system, (sub)cortical structures (including deep grey and white matter structures), brainstem, and predominant regional and/or global alterations in the cerebellum with varying degrees of spinal involvement. CONCLUSION Structural regional alterations on neuroimaging are frequently demonstrated in both the acute and chronic phases of SARS-CoV‑2 infection, particularly prevalent across subcortical, prefrontal/frontal and cortico-limbic brain areas as well as the cerebrovascular/neurovascular system. These findings contribute to our understanding of the acute and chronic effects of the virus on the nervous system and has the potential to provide information on acute and long-term treatment and neurorehabilitation decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ceyda Kiyak
- Faculty of Science and Technology, Bournemouth University, Bournemouth, UK
- School of Psychology, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
| | | | - Joseph A Ackah
- Institute of Medical Imaging and Visualisation, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, Bournemouth University, 8 8GP, Bournemouth, UK
| | - Matthew Armstrong
- Department of Rehabilitation & Sports Sciences, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, Bournemouth University, Bournemouth, UK
| | - Jake Cowen
- Department of Radiology, Queen Alexandra Hospital, Portsmouth Hospitals University NHS Trust, Portsmouth, UK
| | - Deniz Cetinkaya
- Faculty of Science and Technology, Bournemouth University, Bournemouth, UK
| | - Hana Burianová
- Faculty of Science and Technology, Bournemouth University, Bournemouth, UK
| | - Theophilus N Akudjedu
- Institute of Medical Imaging and Visualisation, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences, Bournemouth University, 8 8GP, Bournemouth, UK.
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27
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Wheibe E, Dalkin BH, Meltzer HC, Russ-Sellers R, Grier JT. The Multisystem effects of Long COVID Syndrome and Potential Benefits of Massage Therapy in Long COVID Care. Int J Ther Massage Bodywork 2024; 17:19-42. [PMID: 38486840 PMCID: PMC10911825 DOI: 10.3822/ijtmb.v17i1.767] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Background A major complication of infection with Severe Acute Respiratory Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the virus responsible for COVID-19, is the potential for Long COVID Syndrome. While the pathophysiology of Long COVID Syndrome has yet to be described, the disease presentation is characterized by long-term symptoms with debilitating effects on human health. A better understanding of Long COVID symptomology may open up new avenues for patient treatment such as massage therapy. Methods From the PubMed database, cohort studies that examined post-infection COVID sequelae published between January 1st, 2021 and April 30th, 2021 were selected to investigate patient demographics and symptoms. A review of massage therapy literature since 2000 in conjunction with identified Long COVID symptoms was performed. Results This systematic review identified 17 cohort studies across the world that investigated the symptomatology of patients suffering from post-COVID sequelae in multiple organ systems. We identified the pulmonary and nervous systems to be the organ systems most affected with post-COVID sequelae, with PTSD, fatigue, dyspnea, cough, sleep disturbances, loss of smell, abdominal pain, and decreased appetite as the most common symptoms reported by >20% of Long COVID patients. Massage therapy was historically found to provide benefits to patients experiencing similar symptoms to those identified in Long COVID. Conclusions Recognizing the need for new approaches to treatment for Long COVID Syndrome, we identify massage therapy as a potential therapeutic treatment to positively impact the organ systems affected by Long COVID, especially the high-incident symptoms, and improve patient quality of life.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elias Wheibe
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville, Greenville, SC
| | - Benjamin H. Dalkin
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville, Greenville, SC
| | - Haley C. Meltzer
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville, Greenville, SC
| | | | - Jennifer T. Grier
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of South Carolina School of Medicine Greenville, Greenville, SC
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28
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Bohmwald K, Diethelm-Varela B, Rodríguez-Guilarte L, Rivera T, Riedel CA, González PA, Kalergis AM. Pathophysiological, immunological, and inflammatory features of long COVID. Front Immunol 2024; 15:1341600. [PMID: 38482000 PMCID: PMC10932978 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2024.1341600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024] Open
Abstract
The COVID-19 pandemic continues to cause severe global disruption, resulting in significant excess mortality, overwhelming healthcare systems, and imposing substantial social and economic burdens on nations. While most of the attention and therapeutic efforts have concentrated on the acute phase of the disease, a notable proportion of survivors experience persistent symptoms post-infection clearance. This diverse set of symptoms, loosely categorized as long COVID, presents a potential additional public health crisis. It is estimated that 1 in 5 COVID-19 survivors exhibit clinical manifestations consistent with long COVID. Despite this prevalence, the mechanisms and pathophysiology of long COVID remain poorly understood. Alarmingly, evidence suggests that a significant proportion of cases within this clinical condition develop debilitating or disabling symptoms. Hence, urgent priority should be given to further studies on this condition to equip global public health systems for its management. This review provides an overview of available information on this emerging clinical condition, focusing on the affected individuals' epidemiology, pathophysiological mechanisms, and immunological and inflammatory profiles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen Bohmwald
- Millennium Institute on Immunology and Immunotherapy. Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
- Instituto de Ciencias Biomédicas, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Autónoma de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Benjamín Diethelm-Varela
- Millennium Institute on Immunology and Immunotherapy. Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Linmar Rodríguez-Guilarte
- Millennium Institute on Immunology and Immunotherapy. Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Thomas Rivera
- Millennium Institute on Immunology and Immunotherapy. Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Claudia A. Riedel
- Millennium Institute on Immunology and Immunotherapy, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Facultad de Ciencias de la Vida, Universidad Andrés Bello, Santiago, Chile
| | - Pablo A. González
- Millennium Institute on Immunology and Immunotherapy. Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
| | - Alexis M. Kalergis
- Millennium Institute on Immunology and Immunotherapy. Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
- Departamento de Endocrinología, Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile
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29
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Maliha ST, Fatemi R, Araf Y. COVID-19 and the brain: understanding the pathogenesis and consequences of neurological damage. Mol Biol Rep 2024; 51:318. [PMID: 38386201 DOI: 10.1007/s11033-024-09279-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2023] [Accepted: 01/22/2024] [Indexed: 02/23/2024]
Abstract
SARS-CoV-2 has been known remarkably since December 2019 as a strain of pathogenic coronavirus. Starting from the earlier stages of the COVID-19 pandemic until now, we have witnessed many cases of neurological damage caused by SARS-CoV-2. There are many studies and research conducted on COVID-19-positive-patients that have found brain-related abnormalities with clear neurological symptoms, ranging from simple headaches to life-threatening strokes. For treating neurological damage, knowing the actual pathway or mechanism of causing brain damage via SARS-CoV-2 is very important. For this reason, we have tried to explain the possible pathways of brain damage due to SARS-CoV-2 with mechanisms and illustrations. The SARS-CoV-2 virus enters the human body by binding to specific ACE2 receptors in the targeted cells, which are present in the glial cells and CNS neurons of the human brain. It is found that direct and indirect infections with SARS-CoV-2 in the brain result in endothelial cell death, which alters the BBB tight junctions. These probable alterations can be the reason for the excessive transmission and pathogenicity of SARS-CoV-2 in the human brain. In this precise review, we have tried to demonstrate the neurological symptoms in the case of COVID-19-positive-patients and the possible mechanisms of neurological damage, along with the treatment options for brain-related abnormalities. Knowing the transmission mechanism of SARS-CoV-2 in the human brain can assist us in generating novel treatments associated with neuroinflammation in other brain diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sumaiya Tasnim Maliha
- Biotechnology Program, Department of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, School of Data and Sciences, BRAC University, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Rabeya Fatemi
- Department of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, East West University, Dhaka, 1212, Bangladesh
| | - Yusha Araf
- Department of Biotechnology, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh, Bangladesh.
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30
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Fanshawe JB, Sargent BF, Badenoch JB, Saini A, Watson CJ, Pokrovskaya A, Aniwattanapong D, Conti I, Nye C, Burchill E, Hussain ZU, Said K, Kuhoga E, Tharmaratnam K, Pendered S, Mbwele B, Taquet M, Wood GK, Rogers JP, Hampshire A, Carson A, David AS, Michael BD, Nicholson TR, Paddick SM, Leek CE. Cognitive domains affected post-COVID-19; a systematic review and meta-analysis. Eur J Neurol 2024:e16181. [PMID: 38375608 DOI: 10.1111/ene.16181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2023] [Revised: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 02/21/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE This review aims to characterize the pattern of post-COVID-19 cognitive impairment, allowing better prediction of impact on daily function to inform clinical management and rehabilitation. METHODS A systematic review and meta-analysis of neurocognitive sequelae following COVID-19 was conducted, following PRISMA-S guidelines. Studies were included if they reported domain-specific cognitive assessment in patients with COVID-19 at >4 weeks post-infection. Studies were deemed high-quality if they had >40 participants, utilized healthy controls, had low attrition rates and mitigated for confounders. RESULTS Five of the seven primary Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) cognitive domains were assessed by enough high-quality studies to facilitate meta-analysis. Medium effect sizes indicating impairment in patients post-COVID-19 versus controls were seen across executive function (standardised mean difference (SMD) -0.45), learning and memory (SMD -0.55), complex attention (SMD -0.54) and language (SMD -0.54), with perceptual motor function appearing to be impacted to a greater degree (SMD -0.70). A narrative synthesis of the 56 low-quality studies also suggested no obvious pattern of impairment. CONCLUSIONS This review found moderate impairments across multiple domains of cognition in patients post-COVID-19, with no specific pattern. The reported literature was significantly heterogeneous, with a wide variety of cognitive tasks, small sample sizes and disparate initial disease severities limiting interpretability. The finding of consistent impairment across a range of cognitive tasks suggests broad, as opposed to domain-specific, brain dysfunction. Future studies should utilize a harmonized test battery to facilitate inter-study comparisons, whilst also accounting for the interactions between COVID-19, neurological sequelae and mental health, the interplay between which might explain cognitive impairment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack B Fanshawe
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK
| | - Brendan F Sargent
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Department of Clinical Infection, Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - James B Badenoch
- Barts Health NHS Trust, London, UK
- Preventive Neurology Unit, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Aman Saini
- School of Life and Medical Sciences, University College London, London, UK
| | - Cameron J Watson
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
- South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | | | - Daruj Aniwattanapong
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
- Department of Psychiatry, King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital, Bangkok, Thailand
| | - Isabella Conti
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Charles Nye
- Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Gloucester, UK
| | - Ella Burchill
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK
| | - Zain U Hussain
- NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Glasgow, UK
- Edinburgh Medical School, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Khanafi Said
- Mbeya College of Health and Allied Sciences, University of Dar es Salaam, Mbeya, Tanzania
| | - Elinda Kuhoga
- Mbeya College of Health and Allied Sciences, University of Dar es Salaam, Mbeya, Tanzania
| | - Kukatharmini Tharmaratnam
- Department of Clinical Infection, Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Sophie Pendered
- Department of Clinical Infection, Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | - Bernard Mbwele
- Mbeya College of Health and Allied Sciences, University of Dar es Salaam, Mbeya, Tanzania
| | - Maxime Taquet
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK
| | - Greta K Wood
- Department of Clinical Infection, Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
| | | | - Adam Hampshire
- Department of Brain Sciences, Imperial College London, London, UK
| | - Alan Carson
- Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK
| | - Anthony S David
- Division of Psychiatry, University College London, London, UK
| | - Benedict D Michael
- Department of Clinical Infection, Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
- NIHR Health Protection Research Unit in Emerging and Zoonotic Infections at University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
- Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust, Liverpool, UK
| | - Timothy R Nicholson
- Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK
| | - Stella-Maria Paddick
- Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
- Gateshead Health NHS Foundation Trust, Gateshead, UK
| | - Charles E Leek
- Department of Psychology, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK
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Kanberg N, Grahn A, Stentoft E, Bremell D, Yilmaz A, Studahl M, Nilsson S, Schöll M, Gostner JM, Blennow K, Zetterberg H, Padmanabhan N, Cohen R, Misaghian S, Romero D, Campbell C, Mathew A, Wang M, Sigal G, Stengelin M, Edén A, Gisslén M. COVID-19 Recovery: Consistent Absence of Cerebrospinal Fluid Biomarker Abnormalities in Patients With Neurocognitive Post-COVID Complications. J Infect Dis 2024; 229:493-501. [PMID: 37874918 PMCID: PMC10873166 DOI: 10.1093/infdis/jiad395] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 10/26/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND To investigate evidence of residual viral infection, intrathecal immune activation, central nervous system (CNS) injury, and humoral responses in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and plasma in patients recovering from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), with or without neurocognitive post-COVID condition (PCC). METHODS Thirty-one participants (25 with neurocognitive PCC) underwent clinical examination, lumbar puncture, and venipuncture ≥3 months after COVID-19 symptom onset. Healthy volunteers were included. CSF and plasma severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) nucleocapsid and spike antigen (N-Ag, S-Ag), and CSF biomarkers of immune activation and neuronal injury were analyzed. RESULTS SARS-CoV-2 N-Ag or S-Ag were undetectable in all samples and no participant had pleocytosis. We detected no significant differences in CSF and plasma cytokine concentrations, albumin ratio, IgG index, neopterin, β2M, or in CSF biomarkers of neuronal injury and astrocytic damage. Furthermore, principal component analysis (PCA1) analysis did not indicate any significant differences between the study groups in the marker sets cytokines, neuronal markers, or anti-cytokine autoantibodies. CONCLUSIONS We found no evidence of ongoing viral replication, immune activation, or CNS injury in plasma or CSF in patients with neurocognitive PCC compared with COVID-19 controls or healthy volunteers, suggesting that neurocognitive PCC is a consequence of events suffered during acute COVID-19 rather than persistent viral CNS infection or residual CNS inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nelly Kanberg
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Region Västra Götaland, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Anna Grahn
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Region Västra Götaland, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Erika Stentoft
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Region Västra Götaland, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Daniel Bremell
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Region Västra Götaland, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Aylin Yilmaz
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Region Västra Götaland, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Marie Studahl
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Region Västra Götaland, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Staffan Nilsson
- Department of Laboratory Medicine, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Michael Schöll
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Wallenberg Centre for Molecular and Translational Medicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Dementia Research Centre, Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Johanna M Gostner
- Institute of Medical Biochemistry, Biocenter, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Kaj Blennow
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Mölndal, Sweden
| | - Henrik Zetterberg
- Department of Psychiatry and Neurochemistry, Institute of Neuroscience and Physiology, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, Dementia Research Centre, Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- Clinical Neurochemistry Laboratory, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Mölndal, Sweden
- UK Dementia Research Institute, University College London, London, United Kingdom
- Hong Kong Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Hong Kong, China
- Wisconsin Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin, USA
| | | | - Rachel Cohen
- Meso Scale Diagnostics, LLC, Rockville, Maryland, USA
| | | | - Daniel Romero
- Meso Scale Diagnostics, LLC, Rockville, Maryland, USA
| | | | - Anu Mathew
- Meso Scale Diagnostics, LLC, Rockville, Maryland, USA
| | - Mingyue Wang
- Meso Scale Diagnostics, LLC, Rockville, Maryland, USA
| | - George Sigal
- Meso Scale Diagnostics, LLC, Rockville, Maryland, USA
| | | | - Arvid Edén
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Region Västra Götaland, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Magnus Gisslén
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Institute of Biomedicine, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden
- Department of Infectious Diseases, Region Västra Götaland, Sahlgrenska University Hospital, Gothenburg, Sweden
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32
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Hayward W, Buch ER, Norato G, Iwane F, Dash D, Salamanca-Girón RF, Bartrum E, Walitt B, Nath A, Cohen LG. Procedural Motor Memory Deficits in Patients With Long-COVID. Neurology 2024; 102:e208073. [PMID: 38237090 PMCID: PMC11097756 DOI: 10.1212/wnl.0000000000208073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES At least 15% of patients who recover from acute severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection experience lasting symptoms ("Long-COVID") including "brain fog" and deficits in declarative memory. It is not known if Long-COVID affects patients' ability to form and retain procedural motor skill memories. The objective was to determine the ability of patients with Long-COVID to acquire and consolidate a new procedural motor skill over 2 training days. The primary outcome was to determine difference in early learning, measured as the increase in correct sequence typing speed over the initial 11 practice trials of a new skill. The secondary outcomes were initial and final typing speed on days 1 and 2, learning rate, overnight consolidation, and typing accuracy. METHODS In this prospective, cross-sectional, online, case-control study, participants learned a sequential motor skill over 2 consecutive days (NCT05746624). Patients with Long-COVID (reporting persistent post-coronavirus disease 2019 [COVID-19] symptoms for more than 4 weeks) were recruited at the NIH. Patients were matched one-to-one by age and sex to controls recruited during the pandemic using a crowd-sourcing platform. Selection criteria included age 18-90 years, English speaking, right-handed, able to type with the left hand, denied active fever or respiratory infection, and no previous task exposure. Data were also compared with an age-matched and sex-matched control group who performed the task online before the COVID-19 pandemic (prepandemic controls). RESULTS In total, 105 of 236 patients contacted agreed to participate and completed the experiment (mean ± SD age 46 ± 12.8 years, 82% female). Both healthy control groups had 105 participants (mean age 46 ± 13.1 and 46 ± 11.9 years, 82% female). Early learning was comparable across groups (Long-COVID: 0.36 ± 0.24 correct sequences/second, pandemic controls: 0.36 ± 0.53 prepandemic controls: 0.38 ± 0.57, patients vs pandemic controls [CI -0.068 to 0.067], vs prepandemic controls [CI -0.084 to 0.052], and between controls [CI -0.083 to 0.053], p = 0.82). Initial and final typing speeds on days 1 and 2 were slower in patients than controls. Patients with Long-COVID showed a significantly reduced overnight consolidation and a nonsignificant trend to reduced learning rates. DISCUSSION Early learning was comparable in patients with Long-COVID and controls. Anomalous initial performance is consistent with executive dysfunction. Reduction in overnight consolidation may relate to deficits in procedural memory formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- William Hayward
- From the Human Cortical Physiology and Neurorehabilitation Section (W.H., E.R.B., F.I., D.D., R.F.S.-G., L.G.C.), Clinical Trials Unit (G.N.), Office of the Clinical Director, and Section of Infections of the Nervous System (E.B., B.W., A.N.), National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, NIH, Bethesda, MD
| | - Ethan R Buch
- From the Human Cortical Physiology and Neurorehabilitation Section (W.H., E.R.B., F.I., D.D., R.F.S.-G., L.G.C.), Clinical Trials Unit (G.N.), Office of the Clinical Director, and Section of Infections of the Nervous System (E.B., B.W., A.N.), National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, NIH, Bethesda, MD
| | - Gina Norato
- From the Human Cortical Physiology and Neurorehabilitation Section (W.H., E.R.B., F.I., D.D., R.F.S.-G., L.G.C.), Clinical Trials Unit (G.N.), Office of the Clinical Director, and Section of Infections of the Nervous System (E.B., B.W., A.N.), National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, NIH, Bethesda, MD
| | - Fumiaki Iwane
- From the Human Cortical Physiology and Neurorehabilitation Section (W.H., E.R.B., F.I., D.D., R.F.S.-G., L.G.C.), Clinical Trials Unit (G.N.), Office of the Clinical Director, and Section of Infections of the Nervous System (E.B., B.W., A.N.), National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, NIH, Bethesda, MD
| | - Dabedatta Dash
- From the Human Cortical Physiology and Neurorehabilitation Section (W.H., E.R.B., F.I., D.D., R.F.S.-G., L.G.C.), Clinical Trials Unit (G.N.), Office of the Clinical Director, and Section of Infections of the Nervous System (E.B., B.W., A.N.), National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, NIH, Bethesda, MD
| | - Roberto F Salamanca-Girón
- From the Human Cortical Physiology and Neurorehabilitation Section (W.H., E.R.B., F.I., D.D., R.F.S.-G., L.G.C.), Clinical Trials Unit (G.N.), Office of the Clinical Director, and Section of Infections of the Nervous System (E.B., B.W., A.N.), National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, NIH, Bethesda, MD
| | - Elizabeth Bartrum
- From the Human Cortical Physiology and Neurorehabilitation Section (W.H., E.R.B., F.I., D.D., R.F.S.-G., L.G.C.), Clinical Trials Unit (G.N.), Office of the Clinical Director, and Section of Infections of the Nervous System (E.B., B.W., A.N.), National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, NIH, Bethesda, MD
| | - Brian Walitt
- From the Human Cortical Physiology and Neurorehabilitation Section (W.H., E.R.B., F.I., D.D., R.F.S.-G., L.G.C.), Clinical Trials Unit (G.N.), Office of the Clinical Director, and Section of Infections of the Nervous System (E.B., B.W., A.N.), National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, NIH, Bethesda, MD
| | - Avindra Nath
- From the Human Cortical Physiology and Neurorehabilitation Section (W.H., E.R.B., F.I., D.D., R.F.S.-G., L.G.C.), Clinical Trials Unit (G.N.), Office of the Clinical Director, and Section of Infections of the Nervous System (E.B., B.W., A.N.), National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, NIH, Bethesda, MD
| | - Leonardo G Cohen
- From the Human Cortical Physiology and Neurorehabilitation Section (W.H., E.R.B., F.I., D.D., R.F.S.-G., L.G.C.), Clinical Trials Unit (G.N.), Office of the Clinical Director, and Section of Infections of the Nervous System (E.B., B.W., A.N.), National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, NIH, Bethesda, MD
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Leonel JW, Ciurleo GCV, Formiga AM, Vasconcelos TDMF, de Andrade MH, Feitosa WLQ, Sobreira-Neto AA, Portugal CG, Morais LM, Marinho SC, Gomes EDABM, Feitosa EDAAF, Sobreira EST, Oriá RB, Sobreira-Neto MA, Braga-Neto P. Long COVID: neurological manifestations - an updated narrative review. Dement Neuropsychol 2024; 18:e20230076. [PMID: 38425701 PMCID: PMC10901563 DOI: 10.1590/1980-5764-dn-2023-0076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2023] [Revised: 10/21/2023] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Infection with the SARS-CoV-2 virus can lead to neurological symptoms in the acute phase and in the Long COVID phase. These symptoms usually involve cognition, sleep, smell disorders, psychiatric manifestations, headache and others. This condition is more commonly described in young adults and women. This symptomatology can follow severe or mild cases of the disease. The importance of this issue resides in the high prevalence of neurological symptoms in the Long COVID phase, which entails significant morbidity in this population. In addition, such a condition is associated with high health care costs, with some estimates hovering around 3.7 trillion US dollars. In this review, we will sequentially describe the current knowledge about the most prevalent neurological symptoms in Long COVID, as well as their pathophysiology and possible biomarkers.
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Zhang S, Yuan M, He D, Dang W, Zhang W. Long-term follow-up of brain regional changes and the association with cognitive impairment in quarantined COVID-19 survivors. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2024:10.1007/s00406-023-01741-4. [PMID: 38319396 DOI: 10.1007/s00406-023-01741-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 02/07/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study aimed to evaluate the neuropsychiatric symptoms of quarantined COVID-19 survivors 15 months after discharge and explore its potential association with structural and functional brain changes and inflammation. METHODS A total of 51 quarantined COVID-19 survivors and 74 healthy controls were included in this study. Cognitive function was assessed using the THINC-integrated tool. Structural brain changes were examined through both surface- and volume-based analyses, and functional changes were assessed using resting-state amplitude low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF). Serum inflammatory markers were measured by a multiplexed flow cytometric assay. RESULTS COVID-19 survivors exhibited subjective cognitive decline compared to healthy controls, despite no significant differences in objective cognitive tasks. Structural analysis revealed significantly increased gray matter volume and cortical surface area in the left transverse temporal gyrus (Heschl's gyrus) in quarantined COVID-19 survivors. This enlargement was negatively correlated with cognitive impairment. The ALFF analysis showed decreased neural activity in multiple brain regions. Elevated levels of serum inflammatory markers were also found in COVID-19 survivors, including MIP-1a, MIP-1b, TNF-a, and IL-8, which correlated with functional abnormalities. CONCLUSIONS Our findings indicate a subjective cognitive decline in quarantined COVID-19 survivors 15 months after discharge, which is associated with brain structural alterations in the left Heschl's gyrus. The observed elevation of inflammatory markers suggests a potential mechanism involving inflammation-induced neurogenesis. These results contribute to our understanding of the possible mechanisms underlying long-term neuropsychiatric consequences of COVID-19 and highlight the need for further research to develop targeted interventions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simai Zhang
- West China Biomedical Big Data Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 37 Guoxue Street, Chengdu, 610041, China
- Med-X Center for Informatics, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Minlan Yuan
- Mental Health Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China.
| | - Danmei He
- Mental Health Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Wen Dang
- Mental Health Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- West China Biomedical Big Data Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No. 37 Guoxue Street, Chengdu, 610041, China.
- Med-X Center for Informatics, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China.
- Mental Health Center, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610041, China.
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Cui R, Gao B, Ge R, Li M, Li M, Lu X, Jiang S. The effects of COVID-19 infection on working memory: a systematic review. Curr Med Res Opin 2024; 40:217-227. [PMID: 38008952 DOI: 10.1080/03007995.2023.2286312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/17/2023] [Indexed: 11/28/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Studies demonstrate that people who have been infected by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), the causative agent of COVID-19, have experienced cognitive dysfunction, including working memory impairment, executive dysfunction, and decreased concentration. This review aimed to explore the incidence of working memory impairment and possible concomitant symptoms in the acute phase (< 3 months) and chronic phase (> 6 months) of COVID-19. METHODS We conducted a systematic review of the following databases for inception: MEDLINE via Pub Med, Cochrane EMBASE, and Web of Science electronic databases. The search strategy was comprised of all the observational studies with COVID-19 patients confirmed by PCR or serology who were infected by SARS-CoV-2 with no previous cognitive impairment. This review protocol was recorded on PROSPERO with registration number CRD 42023413454. RESULTS A total of 16 studies from 502 retrieved articles were included. COVID-19 could cause a decline in working memory ability, the results showed that 22.5-55% of the people suffered from working memory impairment in the acute phase (< 3 months) of COVID-19, at 6 months after SARS-CoV2 infection, the impairment of working memory caused by COVID-19 still existed, the prevalence was about 6.2-10%, and 41.1% of the patients had a slight decrease in working memory or a negative change in the boundary value. Moreover, concomitant symptoms could persist for a long time. To some extent, the performance of working memory was affected by age, the time after infection, and the severity of infection (β = -.132, p <.001; β = .098, p <.001; β = .075, p = .003). The mechanism of working memory impairment after infection was mainly focused on the aspects of neuroinflammation and the nerve invasiveness of the virus; at the same time, we also noticed some changes of the brain parenchymal structure. CONCLUSION COVID-19 can cause a decline in working memory ability, accompanied by neurological symptoms. However, there is a lack of studies to identify the structural and functional changes in specific brain regions that relate to the impaired working memory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Cui
- College of Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation, Beijing Sport University, Beijing, China
| | - BeiYao Gao
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - RuiDong Ge
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - MingZhen Li
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Min Li
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Xi Lu
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Shan Jiang
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, The China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing, China
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Lin K, Gao Y, Ji W, Li Y, Wang W, Du M, Liu J, Hong Z, Jiang T, Wang Y. Attentional impairment and altered brain activity in healthcare workers after mild COVID-19. Brain Imaging Behav 2024:10.1007/s11682-024-00851-4. [PMID: 38296922 DOI: 10.1007/s11682-024-00851-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/05/2024] [Indexed: 02/02/2024]
Abstract
Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-COV-2) is highly transmissible and pathogenic. Patients with mild cases account for the majority of those infected with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Although there is evidence that many patients with COVID-19 have varying degrees of attentional impairment, little is known about how SARS-COV-2 affects attentional function. This study included a high-risk healthcare population divided into groups of healthcare workers (HCWs) with mild COVID-19 (patient group, n = 45) and matched healthy HCWs controls (HC group, n = 42), who completed general neuropsychological background tests and Attention Network Test (ANT), and underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) using amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF) to assess altered brain activity; Selective impairment occurred in orienting and executive control networks, but not in alert network, in the patient group, and widespread cognitive impairment encompassing general attention, memory, and executive dysfunction. Moreover, the patient group had significantly lower ALFF values in the left superior and left middle frontal gyri than the HC group. SARS-COV-2 infection may have led to reduced brain activity in the left superior and left middle frontal gyri, thus impairing attentional orienting and executive control networks, which may explain the development of attentional deficits after COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keyi Lin
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
- Anhui Public Health Clinical Center, Hefei, China
| | - Yaotian Gao
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
- Anhui Public Health Clinical Center, Hefei, China
| | - Wei Ji
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
- Anhui Public Health Clinical Center, Hefei, China
- Department of Neurosurgery, Hefei Huaan Brain Hospital, Hefei, China
| | - Yan Li
- Anhui Public Health Clinical Center, Hefei, China
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Wei Wang
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Mengcheng Du
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Jia Liu
- Anhui Public Health Clinical Center, Hefei, China
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Zhengyu Hong
- Anhui Public Health Clinical Center, Hefei, China
- Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China
| | - Tao Jiang
- Department of Neurosurgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.
- Anhui Public Health Clinical Center, Hefei, China.
- Anhui Provincial Institute of Translational Medicine, Hefei, China.
| | - Yuyang Wang
- Department of Neurosurgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Hefei, China.
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Galderisi S, Perrottelli A, Giuliani L, Pisaturo MA, Monteleone P, Pagliano P, Vita A, Muiesan ML, Amore M, Bassetti M, Siracusano A, Mucci A, Bucci P, Cascino G, Barlati S, Amerio A, Di Lorenzo G, Niolu C, Coppola N, Maj M. Cognitive impairment after recovery from COVID-19: Frequency, profile, and relationships with clinical and laboratory indices. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol 2024; 79:22-31. [PMID: 38065006 DOI: 10.1016/j.euroneuro.2023.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2023] [Revised: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 02/06/2024]
Abstract
Cognitive impairment (CI) is regarded as a remarkable burden in COVID-19 survivors. Its prevalence and profile, and relationships with the disease clinical and laboratory indices, remain unclear. The present study investigated, in a large sample of patients recovered from COVID-19, the frequency of CI with both a face-to-face screening tool and comprehensive test battery (MCCB). The study also evaluated the profile of CI and its relationships with COVID-19 clinical and laboratory indices and with psychopathological features. Out of 1344 subjects assessed for eligibility, 736 completed the screening phase 11 months after the COVID-19 infection; 402 participated in the baseline phase and completed an in depth cognitive, clinical and laboratory assessment about one month later. More than one third of the screened subjects presented a CI (COG+); it was associated to age, education, male gender, COVID-19 severity, and presence of anosmia, dyspnea at rest and exertional dyspnea during the acute phase. COG+ subjects showed a higher severity of depression, anxiety and post-traumatic distress, and worse global functioning, than subjects without CI. The MCCB showed that 45% of the subjects had a CI involving attention, working memory, verbal learning, visual learning, and reasoning and problem solving. Finally, neurocognitive functioning was inversely correlated with LDH blood levels, a potential biomarker of disease severity. According to our findings, cognitive functioning should be routinely and periodically assessed in COVID-19 patients, especially in older subjects, who experienced more severe COVID-19 symptoms. In case of persisting dysfunctions cognitive training programs should be considered as treatment strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Palmiero Monteleone
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry "Scuola Medica Salernitana" Baronissi, Salerno, Italy
| | - Pasquale Pagliano
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry "Scuola Medica Salernitana" Baronissi, Salerno, Italy
| | - Antonio Vita
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Italy; Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, ASST Spedali Civili of Brescia, Italy
| | - Maria Lorenza Muiesan
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Italy; Internal Medicine, ASST Spedali Civili of Brescia, Italy
| | - Mario Amore
- Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health (DINOGMI), Section of Psychiatry, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy; IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
| | - Matteo Bassetti
- Department of Health Sciences (DISSAL), University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy; Infectious Diseases Unit, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
| | - Alberto Siracusano
- Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Armida Mucci
- University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Naples, Italy
| | - Paola Bucci
- University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Naples, Italy
| | - Giammarco Cascino
- Department of Medicine, Surgery and Dentistry "Scuola Medica Salernitana" Baronissi, Salerno, Italy
| | - Stefano Barlati
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Sciences, University of Brescia, Italy; Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, ASST Spedali Civili of Brescia, Italy
| | - Andrea Amerio
- Department of Neuroscience, Rehabilitation, Ophthalmology, Genetics, Maternal and Child Health (DINOGMI), Section of Psychiatry, University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy; IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa, Italy
| | - Giorgio Di Lorenzo
- Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | - Cinzia Niolu
- Department of Systems Medicine, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Mario Maj
- University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Naples, Italy
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Ashton Rennison VL, Chovaz CJ, Zirul S. Cognition and psychological well-being in adults with post COVID-19 condition and analyses of symptom sequelae. Clin Neuropsychol 2024; 38:326-353. [PMID: 37350239 DOI: 10.1080/13854046.2023.2227407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2023] [Accepted: 06/14/2023] [Indexed: 06/24/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE As the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic moves into its fourth year, gaining a better clinical understanding of individuals with post COVID-19 condition is paramount. The current study examined the neurocognitive and psychological status of adults with post COVID-19 condition, as well as explored the impact of high psychological burden on objective neurocognitive functioning and the relationship between subjective cognitive concerns and objective neurocognitive findings. METHOD Valid neuropsychological assessments were completed with 51 symptomatic adults who were 297.55 days, on average, following a confirmed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. Participants completed brief self-report depression, anxiety, and PTSD questionnaires, a questionnaire with subjective ratings of cognitive abilities, and standardized neurocognitive tests that examined performance validity, attention, processing speed, verbal learning and memory, naming, visual construction, and executive functioning. RESULTS The participants were mostly Caucasian (80.39%), middle-aged (average 47.37 years), women (82.35%), who were never hospitalized (86.27%). Despite all individuals reporting cognitive problems in daily life, mean performances on objective testing did not reveal any neurocognitive deficits (at or below the 8th percentile) at a group level. Approximately half (49.02%) of the participants reported co-occurring mental health symptoms that were considered clinically elevated based on questionnaire results. High psychological symptom burden was associated with greater subjective cognitive difficulties but did not result in neurocognitive dysfunction on objective testing. CONCLUSIONS This study contributes to the literature regarding post COVID-19 condition in adults including the relationship between the cognitive and psychological symptoms. Results are summarized in key clinical learning points.
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Affiliation(s)
- V Lynn Ashton Rennison
- Psychology Department, London Health Sciences Centre, London, ON, Canada
- Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry Department of Psychiatry, Western University, London, ON, Canada
| | - Cathy J Chovaz
- Psychology Department, King's University College at Western University, London, ON, Canada
| | - Sandra Zirul
- Psychology Department, London Health Sciences Centre, London, ON, Canada
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LaVergne SM, Dutt TS, McFann K, Baxter BA, Webb TL, Berry K, Tipton M, Stromberg S, Sullivan BM, Dunn J, Henao-Tamayo M, Ryan EP. Persistent CD8 + T cell proliferation and activation in COVID-19 adult survivors with post-acute sequelae: a longitudinal, observational cohort study of persistent symptoms and T cell markers. Front Immunol 2024; 14:1303971. [PMID: 38327763 PMCID: PMC10848319 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1303971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 02/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Introduction Post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 affects the quality of life of many COVID-19 survivors, yet the etiology of post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 remains unknown. We aimed to determine if persistent inflammation and ongoing T-cell activation during convalescence were a contributing factor to the pathogenesis of post-acute sequelae of COVID-19. Methods We evaluated 67 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 by nasopharyngeal polymerase chain reaction for persistent symptoms during convalescence at separate time points occurring up to 180 days post-diagnosis. Fifty-two of these individuals were evaluated longitudinally. We obtained whole blood samples at each study visit, isolated peripheral blood mononuclear cells, and stained for multiple T cell activation markers for flow cytometry analysis. The activation states of participants' CD4+ and CD8+ T-cells were next analyzed for each of the persistent symptoms. Results Overall, we found that participants with persistent symptoms had significantly higher levels of inflammation at multiple time points during convalescence when compared to those who fully recovered from COVID-19. Participants with persistent dyspnea, forgetfulness, confusion, and chest pain had significantly higher levels of proliferating effector T-cells (CD8+Ki67+), and those with chest pain, joint pain, difficulty concentrating, and forgetfulness had higher levels of regulatory T-cells (CD4+CD25+). Additionally, those with dyspnea had significantly higher levels of CD8+CD38+, CD8+ Granzyme B+, and CD8+IL10+ cells. A retrospective comparison of acute phase inflammatory markers in adults with and without post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 showed that CD8+Ki67+ cells were significantly higher at the time of acute illness (up to 14 days post-diagnosis) in those who developed persistent dyspnea. Discussion These findings suggest continued CD8+ T-cell activation following SARS-CoV-2 infection in adults experiencing post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 and that the increase in T regulatory cells for a subset of these patients represents the ongoing attempt by the host to reduce inflammation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie M. LaVergne
- Department of Environmental Radiological and Health Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
| | - Taru S. Dutt
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
| | - Kim McFann
- University of Colorado Health, Medical Center of the Rockies, Loveland, CO, United States
| | - Bridget A. Baxter
- Department of Environmental Radiological and Health Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
| | - Tracy L. Webb
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
| | - Kailey Berry
- Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Integrative Neurosciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
| | - Maddy Tipton
- Department of Environmental Radiological and Health Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
| | - Sophia Stromberg
- Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
| | - Brian M. Sullivan
- Department of Immunology and Microbiology, Scripps Research, La Jolla, CA, United States
| | - Julie Dunn
- University of Colorado Health, Medical Center of the Rockies, Loveland, CO, United States
| | - Marcela Henao-Tamayo
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology and Pathology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
| | - Elizabeth P. Ryan
- Department of Environmental Radiological and Health Sciences, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO, United States
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Leitner M, Pötz G, Berger M, Fellner M, Spat S, Koini M. Characteristics and burden of acute COVID-19 and long-COVID: Demographic, physical, mental health, and economic perspectives. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0297207. [PMID: 38252638 PMCID: PMC10802963 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0297207] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2023] [Accepted: 12/30/2023] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND COVID-19 infection and its associated consequence, known as long-COVID, lead to a significant burden on the global healthcare system and limitations in people's personal and work lives. This study aims to provide further insight into the impact of acute and ongoing COVID-19 symptoms and investigates the role of patients' gender and vaccination status. METHODS 416 individuals (73.9% female) between the ages of 16 and 80 years (M = 44.18, SD = 12.90) with self-reported symptoms of long-COVID participated in an online survey conducted between March and May 2022. RESULTS 6.0%, 74.3%, and 19.7% of all respondents reported having had an asymptomatic, mild, or severe acute illness, respectively. Out of all participants, 7.8% required hospitalization. The most prevalent symptoms during the acute infection (Mdn = 23.50 symptoms, IQR = 13-39) included fatigue, exhaustion, cough, brain fog, and memory problems. The median long-COVID disease duration was 12.10 months (IQR = 2.8-17.4). Among 64 inquired long-COVID symptoms (Mdn = 17.00 symptoms, IQR = 9-27), participants reported fatigue, exhaustion, memory problems, brain fog, and dyspnea as the most common ongoing symptoms, which were generally experienced as fluctuating and deteriorating after physical or cognitive activity. Common consequences of long-COVID included financial losses (40.5%), changes in the participants' profession (41.0%), stress resistance (87.5%), sexual life (38.1%), and mood (72.1%), as well as breathing difficulties (41.3%), or an increased drug intake (e.g., medicine, alcohol; 44.6%). In addition, vaccinated individuals exhibited a shorter acute illness duration and an earlier onset of long-COVID symptoms. In general, women reported more long-COVID symptoms than men. CONCLUSION Long-COVID represents a heterogeneous disease and impacts multiple life aspects of those affected. Tailored rehabilitation programs targeting the plurality of physical and mental symptoms are needed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manuel Leitner
- Division of Neurogeriatrics, Department of Neurology, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | | | - Martin Berger
- Division of Neurogeriatrics, Department of Neurology, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
| | | | | | - Marisa Koini
- Division of Neurogeriatrics, Department of Neurology, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
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Li H, Zhao X, Peng S, Li Y, Li J, Zheng H, Zhang Y, Zhao Y, Tian Y, Yang J, Wang Y, Zhang X, Liu L. The Abundant Distribution and Duplication of SARS-CoV-2 in the Cerebrum and Lungs Promote a High Mortality Rate in Transgenic hACE2-C57 Mice. Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:997. [PMID: 38256071 PMCID: PMC10815841 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25020997] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2023] [Revised: 01/06/2024] [Accepted: 01/11/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024] Open
Abstract
Patients with COVID-19 have been reported to experience neurological complications, although the main cause of death in these patients was determined to be lung damage. Notably, SARS-CoV-2-induced pathological injuries in brains with a viral presence were also found in all fatal animal cases. Thus, an appropriate animal model that mimics severe infections in the lungs and brain needs to be developed. In this paper, we compared SARS-CoV-2 infection dynamics and pathological injuries between C57BL/6Smoc-Ace2em3(hACE2-flag-Wpre-pA)Smoc transgenic hACE2-C57 mice and Syrian hamsters. Importantly, the greatest viral distribution in mice occurred in the cerebral cortex neuron area, where pathological injuries and cell death were observed. In contrast, in hamsters, viral replication and distribution occurred mainly in the lungs but not in the cerebrum, although obvious ACE2 expression was validated in the cerebrum. Consistent with the spread of the virus, significant increases in IL-1β and IFN-γ were observed in the lungs of both animals. However, in hACE2-C57 mice, the cerebrum showed noticeable increases in IL-1β but only mild increases in IFN-γ. Notably, our findings revealed that both the cerebrum and the lungs were prominent infection sites in hACE2 mice infected with SARS-CoV-2 with obvious pathological damage. Furthermore, hamsters exhibited severe interstitial pneumonia from 3 dpi to 5 dpi, followed by gradual recovery. Conversely, all the hACE2-C57 mice experienced severe pathological injuries in the cerebrum and lungs, leading to mortality before 5 dpi. According to these results, transgenic hACE2-C57 mice may be valuable for studying SARS-CoV-2 pathogenesis and clearance in the cerebrum. Additionally, a hamster model could serve as a crucial resource for exploring the mechanisms of recovery from infection at different dosage levels.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Longding Liu
- Institute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Kunming 650118, China; (H.L.); (X.Z.); (S.P.); (Y.L.); (J.L.); (H.Z.); (Y.Z.); (Y.Z.); (Y.T.); (J.Y.); (Y.W.); (X.Z.)
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Kerzhner O, Berla E, Har-Even M, Ratmansky M, Goor-Aryeh I. Consistency of inconsistency in long-COVID-19 pain symptoms persistency: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Pain Pract 2024; 24:120-159. [PMID: 37475709 DOI: 10.1111/papr.13277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2023] [Revised: 04/29/2023] [Accepted: 07/07/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Individuals recovering from acute COVID-19 episodes may continue to suffer from various ongoing symptoms, collectively referred to as Long-COVID. Long-term pain symptoms are amongst the most common and clinically significant symptoms to be reported for this post-COVID-19 syndrome. OBJECTIVES This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the proportions of persisting pain symptoms experienced by individuals past the acute phase of COVID-19 and to identify their associated functional consequences and inflammatory correlates. METHODS Two online databases were systematically searched from their inception until 31 March 2022. We searched primary research articles in English, which evaluated individuals after laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 acute phase resolution and specifically reported on pain symptoms and their inflammatory and/or functional outcomes. RESULTS Of the 611 identified articles, 26 were included, used for data extraction, and assessed for their methodological quality and risk of bias by two independent reviewers. Pain symptoms were grouped under one of six major pain domains, serving as our primary co-outcomes. Proportional meta-analyses of pooled logit-transformed values of single proportions were performed using the random-effects-restricted maximum-likelihood model. An estimated 8%, 6%, 18%, 18%, 17%, and 12% of individuals continued to report the persistence of chest, gastrointestinal, musculoskeletal joint, musculoskeletal muscle, general body, and nervous system-related pain symptoms, respectively, for up to one year after acute phase resolution of COVID-19. Considerable levels of heterogeneity were demonstrated across all results. Functional and quality-of-life impairments and some inflammatory biomarker elevations were associated with the persistence of long-COVID pain symptoms. CONCLUSION This study's findings suggest that although not well characterized, long-COVID pain symptoms are being experienced by non-negligible proportions of those recovering from acute COVID-19 episodes, thus highlighting the importance of future research efforts to focus on this aspect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oleg Kerzhner
- Loewenstein Rehabilitation Medical Center, Ra'anana, Israel
| | - Einat Berla
- Israel Defense Forces Medical Corps, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Meirav Har-Even
- Department of Anatomy and Anthropology, School of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Motti Ratmansky
- Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Pain Clinic, Sheba Medical Center, Ramat Gan, Israel
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Wright TJ, Pyles RB, Sheffield-Moore M, Deer RR, Randolph KM, McGovern KA, Danesi CP, Gilkison CR, Ward WW, Vargas JA, Armstrong PA, Lindsay SE, Zaidan MF, Seashore J, Wexler TL, Masel BE, Urban RJ. Low growth hormone secretion associated with post-acute sequelae SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC) neurologic symptoms: A case-control pilot study. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2024; 579:112071. [PMID: 37816478 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2023.112071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2023] [Revised: 09/04/2023] [Accepted: 09/16/2023] [Indexed: 10/12/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To determine if patients that develop lingering neurologic symptoms of fatigue and "brain fog" after initial recovery from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have persistent low growth hormone (GH) secretion as seen in other conditions with similar symptom etiology. DESIGN In this case-control observational pilot study, patients reporting lingering neurologic post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 (PASC, n = 10) symptoms at least 6 months after initial infection were compared to patients that recovered from COVID-19 without lingering symptoms (non-PASC, n = 13). We compared basic blood chemistry and select metabolites, lipids, hormones, inflammatory markers, and vitamins between groups. PASC and non-PASC subjects were tested for neurocognition and GH secretion, and given questionnaires to assess symptom severity. PASC subjects were also tested for glucose tolerance and adrenal function. RESULTS PASC subjects reported significantly worse fatigue, sleep quality, depression, quality of life, and gastrointestinal discomfort compared to non-PASC. Although PASC subjects self-reported poor mental resilience, cognitive testing did not reveal significant differences between groups. Neurologic PASC symptoms were not linked to inflammatory markers or adrenal insufficiency, but were associated with reduced growth hormone secretion. CONCLUSIONS Neurologic PASC symptoms are associated with gastrointestinal discomfort and persistent disruption of GH secretion following recovery from acute COVID-19. (www. CLINICALTRIALS gov; NCT04860869).
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Affiliation(s)
- Traver J Wright
- Department of Internal Medicine, The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, 77555, USA
| | - Richard B Pyles
- Department of Pediatrics, The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, 77555, USA
| | - Melinda Sheffield-Moore
- Department of Internal Medicine, The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, 77555, USA
| | - Rachel R Deer
- Department of Nutrition, Metabolism, and Rehabilitation Sciences, The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, 77555, USA
| | - Kathleen M Randolph
- Department of Internal Medicine, The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, 77555, USA
| | - Kristen A McGovern
- Department of Internal Medicine, The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, 77555, USA
| | - Christopher P Danesi
- Department of Internal Medicine, The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, 77555, USA
| | - Charles R Gilkison
- Department of Internal Medicine, The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, 77555, USA
| | - Weston W Ward
- School of Medicine, The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, 77555, USA
| | - Jayson A Vargas
- School of Medicine, The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, 77555, USA
| | - Peyton A Armstrong
- School of Medicine, The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, 77555, USA
| | - Sarah E Lindsay
- Department of Internal Medicine, The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, 77555, USA
| | - Mohammed F Zaidan
- Department of Internal Medicine, The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, 77555, USA
| | - Justin Seashore
- Department of Internal Medicine, The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, 77555, USA
| | - Tamara L Wexler
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, NYU Grossman School of Medicine, New York, 10016, USA; Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104, USA
| | - Brent E Masel
- Department of Neurology, The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, 77555, USA; Centre for Neuro Skills, Bakersfield, California, 93313, USA
| | - Randall J Urban
- Department of Internal Medicine, The University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, Texas, 77555, USA.
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Di Fenza R, Shetty NS, Gianni S, Parcha V, Giammatteo V, Safaee Fakhr B, Tornberg D, Wall O, Harbut P, Lai PS, Li JZ, Paganoni S, Cenci S, Mueller AL, Houle TT, Akeju O, Bittner EA, Bose S, Scott LK, Carroll RW, Ichinose F, Hedenstierna M, Arora P, Berra L. High-Dose Inhaled Nitric Oxide in Acute Hypoxemic Respiratory Failure Due to COVID-19: A Multicenter Phase II Trial. Am J Respir Crit Care Med 2023; 208:1293-1304. [PMID: 37774011 PMCID: PMC10765403 DOI: 10.1164/rccm.202304-0637oc] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2023] [Accepted: 09/28/2023] [Indexed: 10/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Rationale: The effects of high-dose inhaled nitric oxide on hypoxemia in coronavirus disease (COVID-19) acute respiratory failure are unknown. Objectives: The primary outcome was the change in arterial oxygenation (PaO2/FiO2) at 48 hours. The secondary outcomes included: time to reach a PaO2/FiO2.300mmHg for at least 24 hours, the proportion of participants with a PaO2/FiO2.300mmHg at 28 days, and survival at 28 and at 90 days. Methods: Mechanically ventilated adults with COVID-19 pneumonia were enrolled in a phase II, multicenter, single-blind, randomized controlled parallel-arm trial. Participants in the intervention arm received inhaled nitric oxide at 80 ppm for 48 hours, compared with the control group receiving usual care (without placebo). Measurements and Main Results: A total of 193 participants were included in the modified intention-to-treat analysis. The mean change in PaO2/FiO2 ratio at 48 hours was 28.3mmHg in the intervention group and 21.4mmHg in the control group (mean difference, 39.1mmHg; 95% credible interval [CrI], 18.1 to 60.3). The mean time to reach a PaO2/FiO2.300mmHg in the interventional group was 8.7 days, compared with 8.4 days for the control group (mean difference, 0.44; 95% CrI, 23.63 to 4.53). At 28 days, the proportion of participants attaining a PaO2/FiO2.300mmHg was 27.7% in the inhaled nitric oxide group and 17.2% in the control subjects (risk ratio, 2.03; 95% CrI, 1.11 to 3.86). Duration of ventilation and mortality at 28 and 90 days did not differ. No serious adverse events were reported. Conclusions: The use of high-dose inhaled nitric oxide resulted in an improvement of PaO2/FiO2 at 48 hours compared with usual care in adults with acute hypoxemic respiratory failure due to COVID-19.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raffaele Di Fenza
- Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care, and Pain Medicine
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Naman S. Shetty
- Division of Cardiovascular Disease, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama
| | - Stefano Gianni
- Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care, and Pain Medicine
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Vibhu Parcha
- Division of Cardiovascular Disease, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama
| | - Valentina Giammatteo
- Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care, and Pain Medicine
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Bijan Safaee Fakhr
- Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care, and Pain Medicine
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Daniel Tornberg
- Department of Clinical Sciences and
- Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care and
| | - Olof Wall
- Department of Clinical Sciences and
- Department of Clinical Science and Education, Sodersxjukhuset, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Piotr Harbut
- Department of Clinical Sciences and
- Department of Anesthesia and Intensive Care and
| | - Peggy S. Lai
- Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Jonathan Z. Li
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
- Division of Infectious Diseases, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Sabrina Paganoni
- Sean M. Healey and AMG Center for ALS
- Neurological Clinical Research Institute
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Stefano Cenci
- Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care, and Pain Medicine
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Ariel L. Mueller
- Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care, and Pain Medicine
- Anesthesia Research Center
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Timothy T. Houle
- Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care, and Pain Medicine
- Anesthesia Research Center
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Oluwaseun Akeju
- Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care, and Pain Medicine
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Edward A. Bittner
- Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care, and Pain Medicine
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Somnath Bose
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
- Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care, and Pain Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, Massachusetts; and
| | - Louie K. Scott
- Critical Care Medicine, Department of Medicine, Louisiana State University Health Shreveport, Shreveport, Louisiana
| | - Ryan W. Carroll
- Division of Pediatric Critical Care Medicine, Department of Pediatrics
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | - Fumito Ichinose
- Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care, and Pain Medicine
- Anesthesia Critical Care Center for Research, and
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
| | | | - Pankaj Arora
- Division of Cardiovascular Disease, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama
| | - Lorenzo Berra
- Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care, and Pain Medicine
- Anesthesia Critical Care Center for Research, and
- Respiratory Care Services, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
- Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts
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Corrêa BDC, Santos EGR, Belgamo A, Pinto GHL, Xavier SS, Silva CC, Dias ÁRN, Paranhos ACM, Cabral ADS, Callegari B, Costa e Silva ADA, Quaresma JAS, Falcão LFM, Souza GS. Smartphone-based evaluation of static balance and mobility in long-lasting COVID-19 patients. Front Neurol 2023; 14:1277408. [PMID: 38148981 PMCID: PMC10750373 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2023.1277408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/20/2023] [Indexed: 12/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Background SARS-CoV-2 infection can lead to a variety of persistent sequelae, collectively known as long COVID-19. Deficits in postural balance have been reported in patients several months after COVID-19 infection. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the static balance and balance of individuals with long COVID-19 using inertial sensors in smartphones. Methods A total of 73 participants were included in this study, of which 41 had long COVID-19 and 32 served as controls. All participants in the long COVID-19 group reported physical complaints for at least 7 months after SARS-CoV-2 infection. Participants were evaluated using a built-in inertial sensor of a smartphone attached to the low back, which recorded inertial signals during a static balance and mobility task (timed up and go test). The parameters of static balance and mobility obtained from both groups were compared. Results The groups were matched for age and BMI. Of the 41 participants in the long COVID-19 group, 22 reported balance impairment and 33 had impaired balance in the Sharpened Romberg test. Static balance assessment revealed that the long COVID-19 group had greater postural instability with both eyes open and closed than the control group. In the TUG test, the long COVID-19 group showed greater acceleration during the sit-to-stand transition compared to the control group. Conclusion The smartphone was feasible to identify losses in the balance motor control and mobility of patients with long-lasting symptomatic COVID-19 even after several months or years. Attention to the balance impairment experienced by these patients could help prevent falls and improve their quality of life, and the use of the smartphone can expand this monitoring for a broader population.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - Stanley Soares Xavier
- Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Universidade do Estado do Pará, Belém, Brazil
| | - Camilla Costa Silva
- Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Universidade do Estado do Pará, Belém, Brazil
| | | | - Alna Carolina Mendes Paranhos
- Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Universidade do Estado do Pará, Belém, Brazil
- Núcleo de Medicina Tropical, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, Brazil
| | | | - Bianca Callegari
- Instituto de Ciências da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, Brazil
| | | | - Juarez Antônio Simões Quaresma
- Centro de Ciências Biológicas e da Saúde, Universidade do Estado do Pará, Belém, Brazil
- School of Medicine, São Paulo University, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | | | - Givago Silva Souza
- Núcleo de Medicina Tropical, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, Brazil
- Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, Brazil
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Schaefer J, Khanna D. Nutritional and Wellness Strategies for Neurological and Psychiatric Recovery From Post-COVID Syndrome and Post-acute Sequelae of COVID-19. Cureus 2023; 15:e51076. [PMID: 38269219 PMCID: PMC10806386 DOI: 10.7759/cureus.51076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2023] [Accepted: 12/24/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2024] Open
Abstract
The post-COVID syndrome was officially recognized as a disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act, indicating that this syndrome has made a significant impact on our populace. Also, post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC) is a term that describes the long-term health problems that some people experience after being infected with the virus that causes COVID-19. These problems can last for weeks, months, or even years, and can affect various parts of the body, such as the heart, lungs, brain, and blood vessels. This narrative review paper utilized the PubMed database to explore the pathophysiology of post-COVID syndrome's neurological and psychiatric symptoms and PASC and make therapeutic connections to the known mechanisms of various nutritional, supplemental, and wellness approaches. Searches were queried on the PubMed database between March 29 and April 16, 2022, using the phrases "long-covid," "post-COVID syndrome," "Vitamin D covid," "vitamin C covid," "omega-3 covid," "kynurenine covid," "whole-body hyperthermia," "mushrooms immunity," "n-acetyl cysteine covid," "mushrooms cognition," "sugar consumption inflammation," and "covid microbiome." Articles were screened for their relevance to the discussion of post-COVID syndrome's neurological and psychiatric pathophysiology at the discretion of the principal researcher. There were no limitations regarding publication years, but articles from 2005 to April 2022 were cited. Micro-ischemic disease, neuropathy, autoimmune processes, mast-cell activation, and impaired blood-brain barriers have all been implicated in the pathological processes of this syndrome with varying degrees of supportive evidence. The common denominators, however, are inflammation and oxidative stress. Therefore, a beneficial approach to dealing with the complications of post-COVID syndrome would be to reduce the exacerbations of these common denominators with lifestyle and nutritional changes. Replenishing nutritional deficiencies, supplementing with N-acetylcysteine, decreasing consumption of refined sugars, preventing dysbiosis of the microbiome, performing exercises, increasing dietary intake of mushrooms, utilizing beneficial herbs such as rosemary, and increasing the core body temperature through whole-body hyperthermia seem to show potential for efficacy in this pursuit. Considering the safety and evidence-based connections of the therapies explored for dealing with the post-Covid syndrome, it could be of great benefit and of little harm to our patients to include these considerations in formulating post-Covid treatment plans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey Schaefer
- Foundational Sciences, Nova Southeastern University Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine, Clearwater, USA
| | - Deepesh Khanna
- Foundational Sciences, Nova Southeastern University Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Osteopathic Medicine, Clearwater, USA
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Cipolli GC, Alonso V, Yasuda CL, Assumpção DD, Cachioni M, Melo RCD, Hinsliff-Smith K, Yassuda MS. Cognitive impairment in post-acute COVID-19 syndrome: a scoping review. Arq Neuropsiquiatr 2023; 81:1053-1069. [PMID: 38157873 PMCID: PMC10756850 DOI: 10.1055/s-0043-1777115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 09/22/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
Emerging studies indicate the persistence of symptoms beyond the acute phase of COVID-19. Cognitive impairment has been observed in certain individuals for months following infection. Currently, there is limited knowledge about the specific cognitive domains that undergo alterations during the post-acute COVID-19 syndrome and the potential impact of disease severity on cognition. The aim of this review is to examine studies that have reported cognitive impairment in post-acute COVID-19, categorizing them into subacute and chronic phases. The methodology proposed by JBI was followed in this study. The included studies were published between December 2019 and December 2022. The search was conducted in PubMed, PubMed PMC, BVS - BIREME, Embase, SCOPUS, Cochrane, Web of Science, Proquest, PsycInfo, and EBSCOHost. Data extraction included specific details about the population, concepts, context, and key findings or recommendations relevant to the review objectives. A total of 7,540 records were identified and examined, and 47 articles were included. The cognitive domains most frequently reported as altered 4 to 12 weeks after acute COVID-19 were language, episodic memory, and executive function, and after 12 weeks, the domains most affected were attention, episodic memory, and executive function. The results of this scoping review highlight that adults with post-acute COVID-19 syndrome may have impairment in specific cognitive domains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriela Cabett Cipolli
- Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Programa de Pós-graduação em Gerontologia, Campinas SP, Brazil.
| | - Vanessa Alonso
- Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Programa de Pós-graduação em Gerontologia, Campinas SP, Brazil.
| | - Clarissa Lin Yasuda
- Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Departamento de Neurologia, Campinas SP, Brazil.
| | - Daniela de Assumpção
- Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Programa de Pós-graduação em Gerontologia, Campinas SP, Brazil.
| | - Meire Cachioni
- Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Programa de Pós-graduação em Gerontologia, Campinas SP, Brazil.
- Universidade de São Paulo, Escola de Artes, Ciências e Humanidades, Programa de Pós-graduação em Gerontologia, São Paulo SP, Brazil.
| | - Ruth Caldeira de Melo
- Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Programa de Pós-graduação em Gerontologia, Campinas SP, Brazil.
- Universidade de São Paulo, Escola de Artes, Ciências e Humanidades, Programa de Pós-graduação em Gerontologia, São Paulo SP, Brazil.
| | - Kathryn Hinsliff-Smith
- De Montfort University, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Leicester School of Nursing & Midwifery, United Kingdom.
| | - Mônica Sanches Yassuda
- Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Ciências Médicas, Programa de Pós-graduação em Gerontologia, Campinas SP, Brazil.
- Universidade de São Paulo, Escola de Artes, Ciências e Humanidades, Programa de Pós-graduação em Gerontologia, São Paulo SP, Brazil.
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Marinkovic K, White DR, Alderson Myers A, Parker KS, Arienzo D, Mason GF. Cortical GABA Levels Are Reduced in Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome. Brain Sci 2023; 13:1666. [PMID: 38137114 PMCID: PMC10741691 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13121666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2023] [Revised: 11/28/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
After recovering from the acute COVID-19 illness, a substantial proportion of people continue experiencing post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC), also termed "long COVID". Their quality of life is adversely impacted by persistent cognitive dysfunction and affective distress, but the underlying neural mechanisms are poorly understood. The present study recruited a group of mostly young, previously healthy adults (24.4 ± 5.2 years of age) who experienced PASC for almost 6 months following a mild acute COVID-19 illness. Confirming prior evidence, they reported noticeable memory and attention deficits, brain fog, depression/anxiety, fatigue, and other symptoms potentially suggestive of excitation/inhibition imbalance. Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) was used to examine the neurochemical aspects of cell signaling with an emphasis on GABA levels in the occipital cortex. The PASC participants were compared to a control (CNT) group matched in demographics, intelligence, and an array of other variables. Controlling for tissue composition, biological sex, and alcohol intake, the PASC group had lower GABA+/water than CNT, which correlated with depression and poor sleep quality. The mediation analysis revealed that the impact of PASC on depression was partly mediated by lower GABA+/water, indicative of cortical hyperexcitability as an underlying mechanism. In addition, N-acetylaspartate (NAA) tended to be lower in the PASC group, possibly suggesting compromised neuronal integrity. Persistent neuroinflammation may contribute to the pathogenesis of PASC-related neurocognitive dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ksenija Marinkovic
- Spatio-Temporal Brain Imaging Lab, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182, USA (A.A.M.); (D.A.)
- Department of Radiology, University of California, San Diego, CA 92093, USA
| | - David R. White
- Spatio-Temporal Brain Imaging Lab, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182, USA (A.A.M.); (D.A.)
| | - Austin Alderson Myers
- Spatio-Temporal Brain Imaging Lab, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182, USA (A.A.M.); (D.A.)
- Department of Psychiatry, University of California, San Diego, CA 92093, USA
| | - Katie S. Parker
- Spatio-Temporal Brain Imaging Lab, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182, USA (A.A.M.); (D.A.)
| | - Donatello Arienzo
- Spatio-Temporal Brain Imaging Lab, Department of Psychology, San Diego State University, San Diego, CA 92182, USA (A.A.M.); (D.A.)
- Department of Radiology, University of California, San Diego, CA 92093, USA
| | - Graeme F. Mason
- Department of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging, Psychiatry, and Biomedical Engineering, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA;
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Espinar-Herranz K, Delgado-Lima AH, Villatoro BS, Garaboa EM, Gómez VS, Vides LG, Bouhaben J, Delgado-Losada ML. Memory, Emotion, and Quality of Life in Patients with Long COVID-19. Brain Sci 2023; 13:1670. [PMID: 38137118 PMCID: PMC10742100 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci13121670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2023] [Revised: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/28/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023] Open
Abstract
(1) Background: Persistent COVID is characterized by the presence of fatigue, mental fog, and sleep problems, among others. We aimed to study cognitive abilities (attention, executive functions, memory, language) and psychological and emotional factors in a group of participants of the population with persistent COVID-19 and asymptomatic or non-COVID-19-infected patients; (2) Methods: A total of 86 participants aged 18 to 66 years (X = 46.76) took part in the study, with 57 individuals (66.27%) in the experimental group and 29 (33.73%) in the control group. A comprehensive assessment included neuropsychological evaluations, evaluations of anxious and depressive symptomatology, assessments of the impact of fatigue, sleep quality, memory failures in daily life, and the perceived general health status of the participants; (3) Results: significant differences between groups were found in incidental learning within the Key Numbers task (U = 462.5; p = 0.001; p = 0.022) and in the Direct Digit Span (U = 562; p = 0.022), but not in the Inverse Digit Span (U = 632.5; p = 0.105). Differences were also observed in the prospective memory task of the Rivermead Prospective Memory Tasks (from the Rivermead Behavioural Memory Test) in the recall of quotations (U = 610; p = 0.020) as well as in the recall of objects (U = 681.5; p = 0.032). Concerning the task of verbal fluency, significant differences were found for both phonological cues (p- and s-) (t = -2.190; p = 0.031) and semantic cues (animals) (t = -2.277; p = 0.025). In terms of the psychological impact assessment, significant differences were found in the emotional impact across all variables studied (fatigue, quality of sleep, memory lapses, and the perceived general health status), except for quality of life; (4) Conclusions: Our results suggest that the sequelae derived from persistent COVID may have an impact on people's lives, with higher levels of anxiety and depression, worse sleep quality, a greater number of subjective memory complaints, and a greater feeling of fatigue and impact on quality of life. Furthermore, poorer performance was observed in memory and verbal fluency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katrina Espinar-Herranz
- Experimental Psychology, Cognitive Processes and Speech Therapy Department, Faculty of Psychology, Complutense University of Madrid, Campus de Somosaguas, 28223 Pozuelo de Alarcón, Spain; (K.E.-H.); (A.H.D.-L.); (B.S.V.); (E.M.G.); (V.S.G.); (J.B.)
| | - Alice Helena Delgado-Lima
- Experimental Psychology, Cognitive Processes and Speech Therapy Department, Faculty of Psychology, Complutense University of Madrid, Campus de Somosaguas, 28223 Pozuelo de Alarcón, Spain; (K.E.-H.); (A.H.D.-L.); (B.S.V.); (E.M.G.); (V.S.G.); (J.B.)
| | - Beatriz Sequeira Villatoro
- Experimental Psychology, Cognitive Processes and Speech Therapy Department, Faculty of Psychology, Complutense University of Madrid, Campus de Somosaguas, 28223 Pozuelo de Alarcón, Spain; (K.E.-H.); (A.H.D.-L.); (B.S.V.); (E.M.G.); (V.S.G.); (J.B.)
| | - Esther Marín Garaboa
- Experimental Psychology, Cognitive Processes and Speech Therapy Department, Faculty of Psychology, Complutense University of Madrid, Campus de Somosaguas, 28223 Pozuelo de Alarcón, Spain; (K.E.-H.); (A.H.D.-L.); (B.S.V.); (E.M.G.); (V.S.G.); (J.B.)
| | - Valeria Silva Gómez
- Experimental Psychology, Cognitive Processes and Speech Therapy Department, Faculty of Psychology, Complutense University of Madrid, Campus de Somosaguas, 28223 Pozuelo de Alarcón, Spain; (K.E.-H.); (A.H.D.-L.); (B.S.V.); (E.M.G.); (V.S.G.); (J.B.)
| | - Leonela González Vides
- Optometry and Vision Department, Faculty of Optics and Optometry, Complutense University of Madrid, C. de Arcos de Jalón, 118, 28037 Madrid, Spain;
| | - Jaime Bouhaben
- Experimental Psychology, Cognitive Processes and Speech Therapy Department, Faculty of Psychology, Complutense University of Madrid, Campus de Somosaguas, 28223 Pozuelo de Alarcón, Spain; (K.E.-H.); (A.H.D.-L.); (B.S.V.); (E.M.G.); (V.S.G.); (J.B.)
| | - María Luisa Delgado-Losada
- Experimental Psychology, Cognitive Processes and Speech Therapy Department, Faculty of Psychology, Complutense University of Madrid, Campus de Somosaguas, 28223 Pozuelo de Alarcón, Spain; (K.E.-H.); (A.H.D.-L.); (B.S.V.); (E.M.G.); (V.S.G.); (J.B.)
- Group of Neurosciences, Psychoneuroendocrinology, Neuroimaging and Molecular Genetics in Neuropsychiatric Diseases, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria San Carlos (IdISSC), Hospital Clínico de Madrid, 28040 Madrid, Spain
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Pooladgar P, Sakhabakhsh M, Soleiman-Meigooni S, Taghva A, Nasiri M, Darazam IA. The effect of donepezil hydrochloride on post-COVID memory impairment: A randomized controlled trial. J Clin Neurosci 2023; 118:168-174. [PMID: 37952347 DOI: 10.1016/j.jocn.2023.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2023] [Revised: 09/03/2023] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Post-Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) condition, known as "post-COVID syndrome," is associated with a range of complications persisting even after recovery. Among these complications, cognitive dysfunction, including memory impairment, has been relatively common observed, impacting executive function and quality of life. To date, no approved treatment exists for this specific complication. Therefore, the present clinical trial aimed to investigate the impact of Donepezil Hydrochloride on post-COVID memory impairment. METHODS A randomized, controlled trial (Approval ID: IRCT20210816052203N1) was conducted, enrolling 25 patients with post-COVID memory impairment. Participants with a history of hospitalization were randomly assigned to either the drug group (n = 10) or the control group (n = 15). Memory indices were assessed at baseline, one month, and three months later using the Wechsler Memory Scale-Revised test. SPSS software and appropriate statistical tests were employed for data analysis. RESULTS The statistical analysis revealed no significant difference in WMS-R subtest and index scores between the drug and control groups at the 4-week and 12-week follow-up periods. However, within the drug group, there was a notable increase in the visual reproduction I and verbal paired associates II subtests during the specified time intervals. CONCLUSION While donepezil 5 mg did not exhibit a significant overall increase in memory scales compared to the control group over time, our findings suggest that this medication may exert a positive effect on specific memory subtests. Further research and exploration are warranted to better understand the potential benefits of donepezil in managing post-COVID-related memory impairment. TRIAL REGISTRATION The study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee of Aja University of Medical Sciences (Approval ID: IR.AJAUMS.REC.1400.125) and registered in the Iranian Registry of Clinical Trials (IRCT) (Approval ID: IRCT20210816052203N1).
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Affiliation(s)
- Parham Pooladgar
- Faculty of Medicine, Aja University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran; School of Medicine, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
| | - Mehdi Sakhabakhsh
- Head of Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Aja University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
| | | | - Arsia Taghva
- Cognitive Science and Behavioral Research Center, Aja University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Malihe Nasiri
- Basic Science Department, School of Nursing & Midwifery, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
| | - Ilad Alavi Darazam
- Department of Infectious Diseases and Tropical Medicine, Loghman Hakim Hospital, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran
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