LONDON: People recovering from Covid-19 can suffer significant impacts on brain function, and the worst cases of infection are linked to mental decline equivalent to brain aging in 10 years, researchers warned Tuesday.
A non-peer-reviewed study of more than 84,000 people, led by Adam Hampshire, a physician at Imperial College London, found that in some severe cases, coronavirus infection is linked to substantial cognitive deficits over months.
“Our analyzes … align with the view that there are chronic cognitive consequences of having Covid-19,” the researchers wrote in a report of their findings. “People who had recovered, including those who no longer had symptoms, had significant cognitive deficits.”
Cognitive tests measure how well the brain performs tasks, such as remembering words or connecting the dots on a puzzle. These tests are widely used to assess brain performance in diseases such as Alzheimer’s and can also help doctors evaluate temporary brain deficiencies.
The Hampshire team analyzed the results of 84,285 people who completed a study called the Great British Intelligence Test. The findings, which have not yet been reviewed by other experts, were published online on the MedRxiv website.
The cognitive deficits had “a substantial effect size,” particularly among people who had been hospitalized with Covid-19, the researchers said, and the worst cases showed impacts “equivalent to the average 10-year decline in overall performance among women. ages 20 to 70 “.
However, scientists who were not directly involved in the study said its results should be viewed with caution.
“Participants’ cognitive function was not known prior to Covid, and the results also do not reflect long-term recovery, so any effect on cognition may be short-term,” said Joanna Wardlaw, professor of applied neuroimaging at the University of Edinburgh.
Derek Hill, professor of medical imaging science at University College London, also noted that the study’s findings could not be entirely reliable as they did not compare before and after scores, and involved a large number of people who reported having had Covid -19, which did not test positive.
“Overall (this is) intriguing but inconclusive research on the effect of Covid on the brain,” Hill said.
“As researchers seek to better understand the long-term impact of Covid, it will be important to further investigate to what extent cognition is affected in the weeks and months after infection, and whether damage occurs in some people. permanent to brain function “.
A non-peer-reviewed study of more than 84,000 people, led by Adam Hampshire, a physician at Imperial College London, found that in some severe cases, coronavirus infection is linked to substantial cognitive deficits over months.
“Our analyzes … align with the view that there are chronic cognitive consequences of having Covid-19,” the researchers wrote in a report of their findings. “People who had recovered, including those who no longer had symptoms, had significant cognitive deficits.”
Cognitive tests measure how well the brain performs tasks, such as remembering words or connecting the dots on a puzzle. These tests are widely used to assess brain performance in diseases such as Alzheimer’s and can also help doctors evaluate temporary brain deficiencies.
The Hampshire team analyzed the results of 84,285 people who completed a study called the Great British Intelligence Test. The findings, which have not yet been reviewed by other experts, were published online on the MedRxiv website.
The cognitive deficits had “a substantial effect size,” particularly among people who had been hospitalized with Covid-19, the researchers said, and the worst cases showed impacts “equivalent to the average 10-year decline in overall performance among women. ages 20 to 70 “.
However, scientists who were not directly involved in the study said its results should be viewed with caution.
“Participants’ cognitive function was not known prior to Covid, and the results also do not reflect long-term recovery, so any effect on cognition may be short-term,” said Joanna Wardlaw, professor of applied neuroimaging at the University of Edinburgh.
Derek Hill, professor of medical imaging science at University College London, also noted that the study’s findings could not be entirely reliable as they did not compare before and after scores, and involved a large number of people who reported having had Covid -19, which did not test positive.
“Overall (this is) intriguing but inconclusive research on the effect of Covid on the brain,” Hill said.
“As researchers seek to better understand the long-term impact of Covid, it will be important to further investigate to what extent cognition is affected in the weeks and months after infection, and whether damage occurs in some people. permanent to brain function “.
.
