A new study reveals that COVID-19 patients suffer from significant, long-term cognitive deficits even a year after hospitalization, with brain injury markers and reduced brain volume suggesting immune-mediated damage. Study: Post-hospitalisation COVID-19 cognitive deficits at one year are global and associated with elevated brain injury markers and grey matter volume reduction . Image Credit: Gorodenkoff / Shutterstock In a recent study published in the journal Nature Medicine , researchers assessed one-year cognitive, biomarker , and neuroimaging outcomes in post-hospitalization coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients and identified factors linked to cognitive deficits and recovery.
Background Cognitive deficits are commonly reported in post-acute COVID-19 patients, but their recovery trajectory and underlying mechanisms remain unclear. The most affected individuals are those with neurological or psychiatric complications (NeuroCOVID), though many studies have excluded these patients. Up to one-third of COVID-19 patients experience complications such as stroke and encephalopathy.
Few studies have combined comprehensive cognitive assessments with biological or neuroimaging data, and follow-up data is scarce. COVID-19’s impact on the brain is considered immune-mediated rather than neuroinvasive, though this study notes potential similarities between its brain effects and those seen in other systemic infections. Further research is needed to better understand the mechani.
