The following is a summary of “Cognitive domains affected post-COVID-19; a systematic review and meta-analysis,” published in the February 2024 issue of Neurology by Fanshawe et al.

Researchers conducted a retrospective study to map the patterns of cognitive decline following COVID-19, aiming to predict its impact on daily activities and guide clinical care and rehabilitation efforts.

They conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis (SRMA) to investigate neurocognitive sequelae after COVID-19, adhering to PRISMA-S guidelines. Inclusion criteria comprised studies reporting domain-specific cognitive assessment in COVID-19 patients >4 weeks post-infection. High-quality studies included >40 participants, employed HCs, maintained low attrition rates, and addressed confounders.

The results showed that 5 out of the 7 primary Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) cognitive domains were assessed adequately for meta-analysis. Medium effect sizes, indicating impairment in patients post-COVID-19 compared to controls, were observed across executive function (SMD -0.45), learning and memory (SMD -0.55), complex attention (SMD -0.54), and language (SMD -0.54), with perceptual motor function showing a more significant impact (SMD -0.70). A narrative synthesis of the 56 low-quality studies also indicated no discernible pattern of impairment.

Investigators concluded that a review of post-COVID-19 cognitive impairment studies found moderate impairments across multiple domains but lacked a specific pattern due to heterogeneity in the studies.

Source: onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/ene.16181