COVID-19-related cognitive dysfunction may be associated with transient disruption in the DLPFC glutamatergic pathway.

ABSTRACT

Cognitive impairment has recently attracted researchers as one of the possible neuropsychiatric manifestations of COVID-19, although how the infection perpetuates impairment of cognitive functions is still obscure. We presented a 29-year-old male patient with COVID-19 who developed new-onset transient attention deficit and memory problems following a SARS-CoV-2 infection. Structural neuroimaging was normal. MR-spectroscopy (MRS) of the bilateral DLPFC revealed significant for decreased levels of N-acetylaspartate (NAA), glutamate, and glutamate/glutamine ratio. After a follow-up without any medical treatment but with suggestions of memory exercises for three months a control MRS screening of DLPFC showed improved levels of NAA, glutamate, and glutamate/glutamine ratio. This report may suggest that cognitive deficits in SARS-CoV-2 infection can result from glutamatergic dysfunction with decreased NAA and glutamate levels in bilateral DLPFC.