Cognitive function in non-hospitalized patients 8-13 months after acute COVID-19 infection: A cohort study in Norway.
Studies have reported reduced cognitive function following COVID-19 illness, mostly from hospital settings with short follow-up times. This study recruited non-hospitalized COVID-19 patients from a general population to study prevalence of late cognitive impairment and associations with initial symp...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2022-01-01
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| Series: | PLoS ONE |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0273352 |
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| author | Knut Stavem Gunnar Einvik Birgitte Tholin Waleed Ghanima Erik Hessen Christofer Lundqvist |
| author_facet | Knut Stavem Gunnar Einvik Birgitte Tholin Waleed Ghanima Erik Hessen Christofer Lundqvist |
| author_sort | Knut Stavem |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Studies have reported reduced cognitive function following COVID-19 illness, mostly from hospital settings with short follow-up times. This study recruited non-hospitalized COVID-19 patients from a general population to study prevalence of late cognitive impairment and associations with initial symptoms. We invited patients with PCR-confirmed COVID-19. A postal questionnaire addressed basic demographics, initial COVID-19 symptoms and co-morbidity about 4 months after diagnosis. About 7 months later, we conducted cognitive tests using the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery, comprising four tests for short-term memory, attention and executive function. We present descriptive statistics using z-scores relative to UK population norms and defined impairment as z-score <-1.5. We used multivariable logistic regression with impairment as outcome. Continuous domain scores were analysed by multiple linear regression. Of the initial 458 participants; 305 were invited, and 234 (77%) completed cognitive testing. At median 11 (range 8-13) months after PCR positivity, cognitive scores for short term memory, visuospatial processing, learning and attention were lower than norms (p≤0.001). In each domain, 4-14% were cognitively impaired; 68/232 (29%) were impaired in ≥ 1 of 4 tests. There was no association between initial symptom severity and impairment. Multivariable linear regression showed association between spatial working memory and initial symptom load (6-9 symptoms vs. 0-5, coef. 4.26, 95% CI: 0.65; 7.86). No other dimension scores were associated with symptom load. At median 11 months after out-of-hospital SARS-Cov-2 infection, minor cognitive impairment was seen with little association between COVID-19 symptom severity and outcome. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-10T14:49:29Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ac9dc0d59c1b48b7b1187e96350ae179 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1932-6203 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-10T14:49:29Z |
| publishDate | 2022-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS ONE |
| spelling | doaj.art-ac9dc0d59c1b48b7b1187e96350ae1792022-12-22T01:44:29ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032022-01-01178e027335210.1371/journal.pone.0273352Cognitive function in non-hospitalized patients 8-13 months after acute COVID-19 infection: A cohort study in Norway.Knut StavemGunnar EinvikBirgitte TholinWaleed GhanimaErik HessenChristofer LundqvistStudies have reported reduced cognitive function following COVID-19 illness, mostly from hospital settings with short follow-up times. This study recruited non-hospitalized COVID-19 patients from a general population to study prevalence of late cognitive impairment and associations with initial symptoms. We invited patients with PCR-confirmed COVID-19. A postal questionnaire addressed basic demographics, initial COVID-19 symptoms and co-morbidity about 4 months after diagnosis. About 7 months later, we conducted cognitive tests using the Cambridge Neuropsychological Test Automated Battery, comprising four tests for short-term memory, attention and executive function. We present descriptive statistics using z-scores relative to UK population norms and defined impairment as z-score <-1.5. We used multivariable logistic regression with impairment as outcome. Continuous domain scores were analysed by multiple linear regression. Of the initial 458 participants; 305 were invited, and 234 (77%) completed cognitive testing. At median 11 (range 8-13) months after PCR positivity, cognitive scores for short term memory, visuospatial processing, learning and attention were lower than norms (p≤0.001). In each domain, 4-14% were cognitively impaired; 68/232 (29%) were impaired in ≥ 1 of 4 tests. There was no association between initial symptom severity and impairment. Multivariable linear regression showed association between spatial working memory and initial symptom load (6-9 symptoms vs. 0-5, coef. 4.26, 95% CI: 0.65; 7.86). No other dimension scores were associated with symptom load. At median 11 months after out-of-hospital SARS-Cov-2 infection, minor cognitive impairment was seen with little association between COVID-19 symptom severity and outcome.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0273352 |
| spellingShingle | Knut Stavem Gunnar Einvik Birgitte Tholin Waleed Ghanima Erik Hessen Christofer Lundqvist Cognitive function in non-hospitalized patients 8-13 months after acute COVID-19 infection: A cohort study in Norway. PLoS ONE |
| title | Cognitive function in non-hospitalized patients 8-13 months after acute COVID-19 infection: A cohort study in Norway. |
| title_full | Cognitive function in non-hospitalized patients 8-13 months after acute COVID-19 infection: A cohort study in Norway. |
| title_fullStr | Cognitive function in non-hospitalized patients 8-13 months after acute COVID-19 infection: A cohort study in Norway. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Cognitive function in non-hospitalized patients 8-13 months after acute COVID-19 infection: A cohort study in Norway. |
| title_short | Cognitive function in non-hospitalized patients 8-13 months after acute COVID-19 infection: A cohort study in Norway. |
| title_sort | cognitive function in non hospitalized patients 8 13 months after acute covid 19 infection a cohort study in norway |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0273352 |
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