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Review
. 2021 Mar 1;34(2):149-156.
doi: 10.1097/YCO.0000000000000687.

COVID-19 and neurocognitive disorders

Elizabeta B Mukaetova-Ladinska  1   2 , Golo Kronenberg  3   4 , Ruma Raha-Chowdhury  5
Affiliations
Review

COVID-19 and neurocognitive disorders

Elizabeta B Mukaetova-Ladinska et al. Curr Opin Psychiatry. .

Abstract

Purpose of review: The COVID-19 infection results in various viral-related physical and mental health problems, joined with the long-term psychological impact of the pandemic in general. However, the accompanying neurocognitive changes remain poorly understood.

Recent findings: We synthetize the current knowledge of viral (SARS-CoV-2) induced inflammation, mechanisms to viral entry into the central nervous system and altered neurotransmitter systems to provide an informed neurobiological explanation for the rise of neurocognitive disorders (defined as per the DSM-5 criteria).

Summary: The mild and major neurocognitive disorder symptoms due to the COVID-19 pandemic provide a unique opportunity to address the early changes underlying neurocognitive impairment at both clinical and molecular level. We discuss the utilization of the available evidence for their management and future novel therapeutic opportunities.

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Conflict of interest statement

There are no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Box 1
Box 1
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FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Impact of infective (i.e. SARS-CoV-2) and psychological stressors on the nervous, immune, and endocrine systems. For a more detailed explanation, see the main text. NCD, neurocognitive disorder; OCD, obsessive compulsive disorder; PTSD, post-traumatic stress disorder.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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    2. This study was based on TriNetX Analytics Network that contains anonymized data from electronic health records in 54 healthcare organizations in the USA, totalling 69.8 million patients. The analysis included 62,354 patients diagnosed with COVID-19 between 20 January and 1 August 2020. The authors present incidence and hazard ratios measures for psychiatric disorders, dementia and insomnia, during the first 14--90 days after a diagnosis of COVID-19.

    1. Mukaetova-Ladinska EB, Kronenberg G. Psychological and neuropsychiatric implications of COVID-19. Eur Arch Psychiatry Clin Neurosci 2020; 1–14. doi: 10.1007/s00406-020-01210-2. - PMC - PubMed

    2. The review draws on evidence from previous coronavirus outbreaks (i.e. SARS, MERS) and emerging evidence from China, Europe, Asia and the USA to synthesize the current knowledge regarding the psychological and neuropsychiatric implications of the COVID-19 pandemic.

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