Through the use of a smartphone app, more than 5,100 participants from the Covid Symptom Study Biobank were recruited for the study. The study assessed working memory, attention, reasoning, and motor control across two separate time periods in 2021 and 2022 using 12 tests to measure cognitive function.
Even two years after the original infection, the COVID-19 residual symptoms, sometimes known as “long Covid,” continue to be a serious issue for the affected people.
According to the Guardian, a King’s College London study on the effects of COVID-19 on memory and cognitive function highlights the predominance of brain fog symptoms in patients who have had the condition for more than three months.
After infection, cognitive impairement lasts for years.
Through the use of a smartphone app, more than 5,100 participants from the Covid Symptom Study Biobank were recruited for the study. The study assessed working memory, attention, reasoning, and motor control across two separate time periods in 2021 and 2022 using 12 tests to measure cognitive function.
Brain fog and its severity
Individuals who tested positive for Covid in the initial cohort of 3,335 subjects assessed in July and August 2021 displayed worse cognitive scores, with the greatest severe deficits shown in those suffering symptoms for more than 12 weeks.
It was discovered that the effect of these deficiencies on cognitive function was comparable to aging by about 10 years or going through mild to moderate psychological discomfort.
Comparing the impacts
Even though the cognitive deterioration brought on by prolonged COVID was notable, it turned out to be less severe than other factors like poorer educational attainment or persistent levels of exhaustion that went above the threshold.
The complexity of extended Covid’s effects on several facets of a person’s wellbeing is highlighted by this observation.
According to a worrying pattern found in the study, those who tested positive for COVID-19 and had symptoms for longer than three months had the most cognitive damage.
Even nine months after the original infection, these cognitive issues persisted, demonstrating the illness’s persistent effects on the brain.
Despite the length of their symptoms, people who reported a full recovery from COVID-19 did not show any cognitive damage, which offered some cause for optimism.
This finding raises the possibility that full recovery from COVID-19 may be related to improved cognitive function.
Taking on the difficulties
Even though there have been substantial advances in our understanding of the long-term effects of COVID-19, more investigation is still required to determine why some people continue to struggle with memory loss and other cognitive issues two years after their initial infection.
Researchers emphasize the importance of keeping an eye on those whose brain function is severely compromised in order to give them the individualized care they need to recover.
