# Long-term neuropsychological consequences of severe COVID-19 infection: the NEUROCOG-COVID study

## TL;DR

This study finds that severe COVID-19 can lead to long-term cognitive issues like memory and executive function problems, which affect patients' quality of life.

## Contribution

The study provides empirical evidence on the prevalence and nature of long-term cognitive and psychiatric disorders in younger patients recovering from severe COVID-19.

## Key findings

- 73% of patients showed cognitive disorders, with executive dysfunction being the most common.
- Patients with dysexecutive syndrome reported significantly poorer mental quality of life.
- Comprehensive neuropsychological evaluation is crucial for managing long-term cognitive complaints in post-COVID patients.

## Abstract

Recent studies have confirmed the presence of cognitive disorders, which may be maintained over the long term and associated with psychological disorders following COVID-19 infection. The aim of our study was to characterize long-term cognitive and psychiatric disorders in patients younger than 65 years hospitalized for severe COVID-19 infection.

All patients who were hospitalized between October 2020 and July 2021 for severe COVID-19 infection with a cognitive complaint according to the QPC questionnaire were selected. They underwent a systematic neuropsychological evaluation assessing cognitive functions, psychological processes, and quality of life (QOL).

The QPC was offered to 293 patients, 129 of whom had a cognitive complaint. A total of 74 (57% men) of these patients, aged approximately 55 years, had undergone a full neuropsychological evaluation 337.38 ± 25.11 days after hospital discharge. Seventy-three percent presented with cognitive disorders, including executive disorders (66%), memory disorders (31%), language disorders (19%), and other instrumental disorders (12%). Single-domain impairment was found in 54% of patients, with predominantly “dysexecutive syndrome” (83%) profile. There was no difference between the groups concerning psychological impairment. Patients with a “dysexecutive syndrome” profile reported poorer mental QOL than did the other patients (p < .05).

Cognitive disorders are common after severe COVID-19. The consideration of these factors is essential in the management of patients with long-term COVID-19, especially considering their impact on patients' QOL. Comprehensive neuropsychological assessment helps to identify the factors contributing to cognitive complaints to optimize multidisciplinary management, particularly when not related to cognitive disorders on testing.