Neurological and psychological effects of long COVID in a young population: A cross-sectional study
AimWe evaluated the long-term clinical status of pediatric patients after testing positive for COVID-19. We hypothesized that there are similar symptoms to those that have been described in adults and children and that pediatric patients with neurophysiologic symptoms still present 3–5 months after...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2022-08-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Neurology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fneur.2022.925144/full |
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| author | Cristiana Alessia Guido Cristiana Alessia Guido Fabio Lucidi Fabio Midulla Anna Maria Zicari Elena Bove Federica Avenoso Ilaria Amedeo Enrica Mancino Raffaella Nenna Giovanna De Castro Martina Capponi Bianca Laura Cinicola Giulia Brindisi Flavia Grisoni Manuel Murciano Alberto Spalice the Long-Covid Group of Department of Maternal Sciences |
| author_facet | Cristiana Alessia Guido Cristiana Alessia Guido Fabio Lucidi Fabio Midulla Anna Maria Zicari Elena Bove Federica Avenoso Ilaria Amedeo Enrica Mancino Raffaella Nenna Giovanna De Castro Martina Capponi Bianca Laura Cinicola Giulia Brindisi Flavia Grisoni Manuel Murciano Alberto Spalice the Long-Covid Group of Department of Maternal Sciences |
| author_sort | Cristiana Alessia Guido |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | AimWe evaluated the long-term clinical status of pediatric patients after testing positive for COVID-19. We hypothesized that there are similar symptoms to those that have been described in adults and children and that pediatric patients with neurophysiologic symptoms still present 3–5 months after infection have psychological consequences that interfere with their adaptive functioning.MethodWe recruited 322 COVID-19-positive pediatric patients, between 1.5 and 17 years old, from the outpatient clinic for COVID-19 follow-up. Neurological symptoms were analyzed at onset, after 1 month, and after 3–5 months. A psychological assessment with standardized questionnaires was also conducted to determine the impact of the disease.ResultsAt the onset of COVID-19, 60% of the total sample exhibited symptoms; this decreased after 1 month (20%) but stabilized 3–5 months after disease onset (22%). Prevailing long-COVID neurological symptoms were headache, fatigue, and anosmia. In the 1.5–5-year-old subgroup, internalizing problems emerged in 12% of patients. In the 6–18-year-old subgroup, anxiety and post-traumatic stress showed significant associations with neurological symptoms of long COVID.ConclusionsThese data demonstrate that long COVID presents various broad-spectrum symptoms, including psychological and long-lasting cognitive issues. If not treated, these symptoms could significantly compromise the quality of life of children and adolescents. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T21:24:29Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-f61d0ff364c140358f1cd032aa4df60f |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-2295 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T21:24:29Z |
| publishDate | 2022-08-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Neurology |
| spelling | doaj.art-f61d0ff364c140358f1cd032aa4df60f2022-12-22T04:02:29ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Neurology1664-22952022-08-011310.3389/fneur.2022.925144925144Neurological and psychological effects of long COVID in a young population: A cross-sectional studyCristiana Alessia Guido0Cristiana Alessia Guido1Fabio Lucidi2Fabio Midulla3Anna Maria Zicari4Elena Bove5Federica Avenoso6Ilaria Amedeo7Enrica Mancino8Raffaella Nenna9Giovanna De Castro10Martina Capponi11Bianca Laura Cinicola12Giulia Brindisi13Flavia Grisoni14Manuel Murciano15Alberto Spalice16the Long-Covid Group of Department of Maternal SciencesDepartment of Maternal Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, ItalyDepartment of Developmental and Social Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, ItalyDepartment of Developmental and Social Psychology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, ItalyDepartment of Maternal Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, ItalyDepartment of Maternal Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, ItalyDepartment of Maternal Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, ItalyDepartment of Maternal Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, ItalyDepartment of Maternal Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, ItalyDepartment of Maternal Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, ItalyDepartment of Maternal Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, ItalyDepartment of Maternal Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, ItalyDepartment of Maternal Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, ItalyDepartment of Maternal Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, ItalyDepartment of Maternal Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, ItalyDepartment of Maternal Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, ItalyDepartment of Maternal Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, ItalyDepartment of Maternal Sciences, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, ItalyAimWe evaluated the long-term clinical status of pediatric patients after testing positive for COVID-19. We hypothesized that there are similar symptoms to those that have been described in adults and children and that pediatric patients with neurophysiologic symptoms still present 3–5 months after infection have psychological consequences that interfere with their adaptive functioning.MethodWe recruited 322 COVID-19-positive pediatric patients, between 1.5 and 17 years old, from the outpatient clinic for COVID-19 follow-up. Neurological symptoms were analyzed at onset, after 1 month, and after 3–5 months. A psychological assessment with standardized questionnaires was also conducted to determine the impact of the disease.ResultsAt the onset of COVID-19, 60% of the total sample exhibited symptoms; this decreased after 1 month (20%) but stabilized 3–5 months after disease onset (22%). Prevailing long-COVID neurological symptoms were headache, fatigue, and anosmia. In the 1.5–5-year-old subgroup, internalizing problems emerged in 12% of patients. In the 6–18-year-old subgroup, anxiety and post-traumatic stress showed significant associations with neurological symptoms of long COVID.ConclusionsThese data demonstrate that long COVID presents various broad-spectrum symptoms, including psychological and long-lasting cognitive issues. If not treated, these symptoms could significantly compromise the quality of life of children and adolescents.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fneur.2022.925144/fulllong-COVID syndromeCOVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019)SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2)CNS (central nervous system)psychological effectschildren |
| spellingShingle | Cristiana Alessia Guido Cristiana Alessia Guido Fabio Lucidi Fabio Midulla Anna Maria Zicari Elena Bove Federica Avenoso Ilaria Amedeo Enrica Mancino Raffaella Nenna Giovanna De Castro Martina Capponi Bianca Laura Cinicola Giulia Brindisi Flavia Grisoni Manuel Murciano Alberto Spalice the Long-Covid Group of Department of Maternal Sciences Neurological and psychological effects of long COVID in a young population: A cross-sectional study Frontiers in Neurology long-COVID syndrome COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) CNS (central nervous system) psychological effects children |
| title | Neurological and psychological effects of long COVID in a young population: A cross-sectional study |
| title_full | Neurological and psychological effects of long COVID in a young population: A cross-sectional study |
| title_fullStr | Neurological and psychological effects of long COVID in a young population: A cross-sectional study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Neurological and psychological effects of long COVID in a young population: A cross-sectional study |
| title_short | Neurological and psychological effects of long COVID in a young population: A cross-sectional study |
| title_sort | neurological and psychological effects of long covid in a young population a cross sectional study |
| topic | long-COVID syndrome COVID-19 (coronavirus disease 2019) SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) CNS (central nervous system) psychological effects children |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fneur.2022.925144/full |
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