Pattern of Cognitive Deficits in Patients with Post Coronavirus Disease-2019

Abstract

Objectives: Coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) is a viral disease that has caused a worldwide pandemic. Some symptoms may persist for weeks or months following the disease. One of the common symptoms is cognitive deficits. More than one theory is trying to determine how COVID-19 can affect the brain, specifically, the areas affected and the degree to which they are affected, which may lead to new information about the involvement of the mechanisms of the brain. We aimed to determine the affected localizations of the brain and their rates of involvement with neuropsychological tests. Materials and Methods: Eighteen patients [5 female (F)/13 male (M); 41.5 (34-50) years] with definite COVID-19, who presented to the neurology outpatient clinic with memory problems, and 15 healthy controls (7 F/8 M; 40.3 (27-49) years) were included in the study. Oktem verbal memory processes test, Stroop test, Wechsler memory scale-revised (WMS-R) forward and reverse number range test, visual-spatial functions with simple shape copying tests, and Beck depression test were performed. Results: A statistically significant difference was found in total learning scores of the Oktem verbal memory processes test, Stroop test parts 1, 4, 5 in long COVID patients and the controls (p≤0.01, p≤0.01, p=0.02, p≤0.01). There was no significant difference in the immediate learning of the Oktem verbal memory processes test, WMS-R, visual-spatial functions with simple-shape copying tests and Beck depression test in the control and patient groups (p=0.18 p=0.42 p=0.26, p=0.10). Conclusion: Our study suggests that memory-related findings in patients with COVID-19 are the result of mainly hippocampal involvement and frontal involvement is added to the picture in some of these patients.

Keywords

• COVID-19
• Stroop Test
• Oktem Verbal Memory Processes Test
• Cognitive Deficits

Koronavirüs Hastalığı-2019 Sonrası Hastalardaki Bilişsel Bozukluk Paternleri

Abstract

Amaç: Koronavirüs hastalığı-2019 (COVID-19) dünya çapında pandemiye yol açan virütik bir hastalıktır. Hastalığı takiben haftalarca veya aylarca bazı semptomlar devam edebilmektedir. Sık görülen semptomlardan birisi de bilişsel bozukluktur. COVID-19’un beyni nasıl etkileyebileceği birden fazla teoriyle ortaya konulmaya çalışılmaktadır. Hangi alanların etkilendiği ve etkilenme dereceleri beynin tutulum mekanizmaları hakkında yeni bilgilere işaret edebilir. Bu nedenle biz bu çalışmada nöropsikolojik testlerle beynin etkilenen lokalizasyonlarını ve etkilenme derecelerini saptamayı amaçladık. Gereç ve Yöntem: Kesin COVID-19 geçiren, unutkanlık şikayeti ile nöroloji polikliniğine başvuran 18 hasta [5 kadın (K)/13 erkek (E); 41,5 (34-50) yaş] ve 15 sağlıklı kontrol [7 K/8 E; 40,3 (27-49) yaş] çalışmaya alındı. Öktem sözel bellek süreçleri testi, Stroop testi, sayı erimi testleri, görsel mekansal fonksiyonlar testleri, Beck depresyon testi uygulandı. Bulgular: Uzun COVID hastaları ve kontrol grubu karşılaştırıldığında Öktem sözel bellek süreçleri testinde total hafıza skorunda, Stroop testinde 1, 4, 5 bölümlerinde istatistiksel olarak anlamlı farklılık saptandı (p≤0,01, p≤0,01, p=0,02, p≤0,01). Öktem sözel bellek süreçleri testinde anlık hafıza bölümünde, sayı erimi testlerinde, görsel mekansal fonksiyonlar testlerinde, Beck depresyon testinde hasta ve kontrol grubu karşılaştırıldığında istatistiksel olarak anlamlı bir farklılık bulunmadı (p=0,18 p=0,42 p=0,26, p=0,10). Sonuç: Bizim çalışmamız COVID-19 geçiren hastalarda hafıza ile ilgili bulguların ağırlıklı olarak hipokampal tutulumu işaret ettiğini, bir bölümünde tabloya frontal tutulumun eklendiğini göstermektedir.

Keywords

• COVID-19
• Stroop Test
• Öktem Sözel Bellek Süreçleri Testi
• Bilişsel Bozukluk

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