Cognitive Assessment in Patients with Acute COVID-19: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

Purpose: Many reports have revealed a high percentage of patients suffering from cognitive impairment due to COVID-19. We investigated cognitive functions using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) in mild COVID-19 patients compared with non-COVID-19 patients within 5 days after the initial respiratory symptoms of infection. Materials and Methods: 113 patients with mild COVID-19 and 109 age- and sex-matched controls were enrolled in this prospective cross-sectional study. Cognitive functions were evaluated using the MoCA. Results: We found that the MoCA scores were significantly lower in the COVID-19 patients than in the controls (P<0.001). Compared to the controls, we found point deficits within some MoCA items such as visuospatial (P<0.001), memory (P=0.017), and attention (P<0.048) domains. In the multivariate model, female sex (2.06 [1.02–4.16], P=0.044), low education level (150.05 [5.16–43.90], P<0.001), high fasting blood glucose level (0.98 [0.96–1.00], P=0.043), and the presence of COVID-19 (24.24 [9.52–61.72], P<0.001) were independently associated with cognitive impairment (OR, 95% CI). Conclusion: We detected cognitive dysfunction, involving the visuospatial domain, memory, and attention, during the acute phase in patients with mild COVID-19.

Keywords

• COVID-19
• cognition
• cognitive assessment
• montreal cognitive assessment
• pandemic

Akut COVID-19 Hastalarında Bilişsel Değerlendirme: Kesitsel Bir Çalışma

Abstract

Amaç: COVID-19’a bağlı kognitif bozukluk daha önce yapılan çalışmalarda yüksek oranda bildirilmiştir. Enfeksiyonun ilk solunum semptomlarından sonraki 5 gün içinde, hafif COVID-19 hastalarında, COVID-19 olmayan hastalara kıyasla, Montreal Bilişsel Değerlendirmesini (MoCA) kullanarak bilişsel işlevleri araştırıldı. Araçlar ve Yöntem: Bu prospektif kesitsel çalışmaya hafif COVID-19'lu 113 hasta ve yaş ve cinsiyet olarak eşleştirilmiş 109 kontrol alındı. Bilişsel işlevler, MoCA kullanılarak değerlendirildi. Bulgular: MoCA skorlarının COVID-19 hastalarında kontrollere göre anlamlı derecede düşük olduğunu bulduk (P<0.001). Kontrollerle karşılaştırıldığında, görsel uzamsal (P<0.001), bellek (P=0.017) ve dikkat (P<0.048) alanları gibi bazı MoCA öğelerinde puan kayıpları bulduk. Çok değişkenli modelde kadın cinsiyet (2.06 [1.02–4.16], P=0.044), düşük eğitim düzeyi (15.05 [5.16–43.90], P<0.001), yüksek açlık kan şekeri düzeyi (0.98 [0.96–1.00]), P=0.043) ve COVID-19 (24.24 [9.52–61.72], P<0.001) varlığı bağımsız olarak kognitif bozuklukla ilişkiliyidi (OR, %95 CI). Sonuç: Hafif COVID-19'lu hastalarda akut faz sırasında görsel uzamsal, bellek ve dikkat alanlarında bilişsel işlev bozukluğu tespit edildi.

Keywords

• COVID-19
• biliş
• bilişsel değerlendirme
• montreal bilişsel değerlendirme
• salgın

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