Cognitive performance in convalescent covid-19 patients

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Hypoxia caused by pulmonary diseases has been associated with decreased cognitive performance for decades. COVID-19 pneumonia, a result of infection by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, became a pandemic only a few months ago and the existing knowledge about its possible impact on cognitive processes is still poor. Objective: To evaluate the cognitive performance in patients recovered from COVID-19. Method: 42 people convalest from COVID-19 were evaluated using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment Test (MoCA) and compared with the results of 100 healthy subjects. Socio-demographic variables were controlled and clinical variables were obtained from the patients to study the possible influence on cognitive performance in them. Results: Lower performance was found in patients in the variables working memory (p = 0.005), attention (p = 0.026), abstraction (p = 0.021), delayed memory (p = 0.001) and in the total score of the MoCA (p = 0.007). A significant correlation was found between the result obtained in Moca and age (r =-0.520, p = 0.001), educational level (r = 0.551, p = 0.000), forced vital capacity (FVC) [(r = 0.667, p = 0.000)], forced respiratory volume (FEV1) [(r = 0.573 (p = 0.001)] and the 6-minute walk test (6MWD) [(r = 0.563, p = 0.002)]. Predictor variables of cognitive performance were found FVC, 6MWD and schooling. Conclusions: Cognitive performance can be affected by COVID-19, particularly aspects related to memory, attention and abstraction. Given the multifactorial determination of cognitive performance, it is necessary to expand the psychological, clinical and laboratory variables to be taken into accountin future studies. © 2020, Editorial Ciencias Medicas. All rights reserved.