TY - JOUR

T1 - Cognitive impairments among patients in a long-COVID clinic

T2 - Prevalence, pattern and relation to illness severity, work function and quality of life

AU - Miskowiak, K. W.

AU - Pedersen, J. K.

AU - Gunnarsson, D. V.

AU - Roikjer, T. K.

AU - Podlekareva, D.

AU - Hansen, H.

AU - Dall, C. H.

AU - Johnsen, S.

N1 - Publisher Copyright: © 2022 The Author(s)

PY - 2023

Y1 - 2023

N2 - Background: A considerable proportion of people experience lingering symptoms after Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency, pattern and functional implications of cognitive impairments in patients at a long-COVID clinic who were referred after hospitalisation with COVID-19 or by their general practitioner. Methods: Patients underwent cognitive screening and completed questionnaires regarding subjective cognition, work function and quality of life. Patients' cognitive performance was compared with that of 150 age-, sex-, and education-matched healthy controls (HC) and with their individually expected performance calculated based on their age, sex and education. Results: In total, 194 patients were assessed, on average 7 months (standard deviation: 4) after acute COVID-19.44–53 % of the patients displayed clinically relevant cognitive impairments compared to HC and to their expected performance, respectively. Moderate to large impairments were seen in global cognition and in working memory and executive function, while mild to moderate impairments occurred in verbal fluency, verbal learning and memory. Hospitalised (n = 91) and non-hospitalised (n = 103) patients showed similar degree of cognitive impairments in analyses adjusted for age and time since illness. Patients in the cognitively impaired group were older, more often hospitalised, had a higher BMI and more frequent asthma, and were more often female. More objective cognitive impairment was associated with more subjective cognitive difficulties, poorer work function and lower quality of life. Limitations: The study was cross-sectional, which precludes causality inferences. Conclusions: These findings underscore the need to assess and treat cognitive impairments in patients at long-COVID clinics.

AB - Background: A considerable proportion of people experience lingering symptoms after Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). The aim of this study was to investigate the frequency, pattern and functional implications of cognitive impairments in patients at a long-COVID clinic who were referred after hospitalisation with COVID-19 or by their general practitioner. Methods: Patients underwent cognitive screening and completed questionnaires regarding subjective cognition, work function and quality of life. Patients' cognitive performance was compared with that of 150 age-, sex-, and education-matched healthy controls (HC) and with their individually expected performance calculated based on their age, sex and education. Results: In total, 194 patients were assessed, on average 7 months (standard deviation: 4) after acute COVID-19.44–53 % of the patients displayed clinically relevant cognitive impairments compared to HC and to their expected performance, respectively. Moderate to large impairments were seen in global cognition and in working memory and executive function, while mild to moderate impairments occurred in verbal fluency, verbal learning and memory. Hospitalised (n = 91) and non-hospitalised (n = 103) patients showed similar degree of cognitive impairments in analyses adjusted for age and time since illness. Patients in the cognitively impaired group were older, more often hospitalised, had a higher BMI and more frequent asthma, and were more often female. More objective cognitive impairment was associated with more subjective cognitive difficulties, poorer work function and lower quality of life. Limitations: The study was cross-sectional, which precludes causality inferences. Conclusions: These findings underscore the need to assess and treat cognitive impairments in patients at long-COVID clinics.

KW - Cognitive impairment

KW - COVID-19

KW - Quality of life

KW - Work function

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85144922727&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1016/j.jad.2022.12.122

DO - 10.1016/j.jad.2022.12.122

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 36586593

AN - SCOPUS:85144922727

VL - 324

SP - 162

EP - 169

JO - Journal of Affective Disorders

JF - Journal of Affective Disorders

SN - 0165-0327

ER -