COVID-19, which usually infects humans through the respiratory tract and causes damage to the respiratory system and various organs of the human body. Since the first outbreak at the end of 2019, the novel coronavirus is still raging around the world, causing great negative impact on the world economy and society.
In the more than two years since the epidemic, we have realized that the new crown is not just a respiratory disease, but affects multiple tissues and organs of the human body. For example, it causes loss of smell and taste, fatigue, cognitive decline, and some patients also experience strokes and more severe impairment of consciousness, all of which are known as COVID-19 sequelae.
Recently, researchers from Cambridge University and Imperial College London published in the Lancet sub-journal” EClinicalMedicine” published a research paper titled “Multivariate profile and acute-phase correlates of cognitive deficits in a COVID-19 hospitalised cohort”.
The study found that the cognitive impairment caused by severe COVID-19 is equivalent to the natural cognitive decline that occurs between the ages of 50 and 70, which means the brain ages by 20 years and 6 months This effect is still detectable.
There is growing evidence that COVID-19 causes lasting cognitive and mental health problems, with recovered patients reporting symptoms months later These include fatigue, brain fog, sleep disturbances, anxiety, and even PTSD.
To explore the relationship between Covid-19 and cognitive impairment in more detail, the researchers analyzed data from 46 patients hospitalized with Covid-19, 16 of whom received mechanical ventilation, and all participants were Cognitive tests were taken every six months after the illness, covering different aspects of mental abilities such as memory, attention and reasoning. These test results were compared with 66,008 people in the general population.
This is the first time such a rigorous assessment and comparison of the sequelae of severe COVID-19 has been conducted, the researchers said.
Data analysis found that COVID-19 patients had lower accuracy and slower response times. These deficits were still detectable when patients were followed up six months later.
And for those requiring mechanical ventilation, the situation is worse, the level of cognitive loss in critically ill patients is comparable to the natural cognition that occurs between the ages of 50 and 70 compared to the general population Decline means 20 years of brain aging, which is equivalent to a 10-point drop in IQ.
Extent of cognitive loss in critically ill patients
In addition, the study also found that patients were also slower in processing Consistent with the findings, brain regions responsible for attention, complex problem solving and working memory use glucose less efficiently after Covid-19.
Although patients’ test scores and reaction speeds improve over time, the researchers say any recovery in cognitive ability is gradual at best and may be affected by disease severity and neurological or The influence of many factors, including psychological influence.
During the 10-month follow-up of some patients, the researchers found that these recovery was slow, and some of them may never fully recover.
For the cognitive deficit caused by the new crown, the researchers said that there may be the following factors:
First, it may be a direct virus infection, but not Most likely the main reason.
Second, it is more likely a combination of factors, including insufficient oxygen supply to the brain, clogged blood vessels due to clotting, and microscopic bleeding.
Third, it may be the body’s own inflammatory response and damage caused by the immune system.
Although the study focused on hospitalized cases, the researchers say even those with mild symptoms may have signs of mild injury.
In the UK alone, around 40,000 people are in intensive care with Covid-19, and there are many more critically ill patients who cannot be admitted to hospital, which means that many people will still face recognition after a few months, researchers say. Does this mean that COVID-19 will exacerbate the global burden of treating cognitive impairment?