Post-COVID-19 Brain Health Impaired Versus Healthy Controls
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter
THURSDAY, Dec. 28, 2023 -- Brain health after COVID-19 is impaired, but no more than that seen for patients hospitalized for other medical conditions of similar severity, according to a study published online Dec. 28 in JAMA Network Open.
Costanza Peinkhofer, M.D., from Copenhagen University Hospital in Denmark, and colleagues examined whether long-term cognitive, psychiatric, or neurological complications differ for patients hospitalized for COVID-19 versus those hospitalized for other medical conditions of similar severity as well as healthy controls in a prospective cohort study. One hundred twenty patients with COVID-19 were included and matched with 125 patients hospitalized for pneumonia, myocardial infarction, or non-COVID-19 intensive care-requiring illness between March 1, 2020, and June 30, 2021, and 100 healthy age- and sex-matched individuals.
The researchers found that compared with healthy controls, patients with COVID-19 had worse cognitive status (estimated Screen for Cognitive Impairment in Psychiatry [SCIP] score, 59.0 versus 68.8; estimated mean Montreal Cognitive Assessment [MoCA] score, 26.5 versus 28.2); scores were similar when compared with hospitalized controls (mean SCIP score, 61.6; mean MoCA score, 27.2). During all other psychiatric and neurologic assessments, patients with COVID-19 performed worse than healthy controls. The brain health of patients with COVID-19 was not more impaired than among hospitalized control patients, with the exception of executive dysfunction.
"Although studies with broader cognitive test batteries are needed to confirm these findings, brain health after COVID-19 seems overall comparable to that after other diseases of similar severity," the authors write.
Several authors disclosed ties to the Novo Nordisk Foundation and Lundbeck Foundation, both of which partially funded the study.
Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.
© 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Posted December 2023
Further Support and Information on COVID-19
Read this next
Higher COVID-19 Vaccination Rates Tied to Decrease in Childhood Asthma Symptoms
WEDNESDAY, July 3, 2024 -- Higher COVID-19 vaccination rates are associated with a lower prevalence of parent-reported childhood asthma symptoms, according to a research letter...
COVID-19 Vaccination Not Tied to Adverse Pregnancy Outcomes
TUESDAY, June 25, 2024 -- mRNA COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy is not associated with an increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes, according to a study published in the...
Cannabis Use Tied to Risk of COVID-19 Hospitalizations, ICU Admissions
TUESDAY, June 25, 2024 -- Current cannabis use may be an independent risk factor for COVID-19–related complications, according to a study published online June 21...
More news resources
- FDA Medwatch Drug Alerts
- Daily MedNews
- News for Health Professionals
- New Drug Approvals
- New Drug Applications
- Drug Shortages
- Clinical Trial Results
- Generic Drug Approvals
Subscribe to our newsletter
Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.