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. 2021 May 17:12:643646.
doi: 10.3389/fneur.2021.643646. eCollection 2021.

Cognitive and Emotional Disturbances Due to COVID-19: An Exploratory Study in the Rehabilitation Setting

Caterina Pistarini  1 , Elena Fiabane  2 , Elise Houdayer  3 , Claudio Vassallo  2 , Marina Rita Manera  4 , Federica Alemanno  3
Affiliations

Cognitive and Emotional Disturbances Due to COVID-19: An Exploratory Study in the Rehabilitation Setting

Caterina Pistarini et al. Front Neurol. .

Abstract

The coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) can cause neurological, psychiatric, psychological, and psychosocial impairments. Literature regarding cognitive impact of COVID-19 is still limited. The aim of this study was to evaluate cognitive deficits and emotional distress among COVID-19 and post-COVID-19 patients who required functional rehabilitation. Specifically, this study explored and compared cognitive and psychological status of patients in the subacute phase of the disease (COVID-19 group) and patients in the postillness period (post-COVID-19 group). Forty patients admitted to rehabilitation units were enrolled in the study and divided into two groups according to the phase of the disease: (a) COVID-19 group (n = 20) and (b) post-COVID-19 group (n = 20). All patients underwent a neuropsychological assessment including Mini-Mental State Evaluation (MMSE), Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression, and Impact of Event Scale-Revised (IES-R). A larger part of the COVID group showed neuropsychological deficits in the total MMSE (35%) compared to the post-COVID group (5%), whereas the majority of both groups (75-70%) reported cognitive impairments in the total MoCA. The post-COVID group reported significantly higher score in MMSE subtests of language (p = 0.02) and in MoCA subtests of executive functions (p = 0.05), language (p = 0.01), and abstraction (p = 0.02) compared to the COVID group. Regarding emotional disturbances, ~40% of patients presented with mild to moderate depression (57.9-60%). The post-COVID-19 group reported significantly higher levels of distress at the IES-R compared to the COVID group (p = 0.02). These findings highlight the gravity of neuropsychological and psychological symptoms that can be induced by COVID-19 infection and the need for tailored rehabilitation, including cognitive training and psychological support.

Keywords: COVID-19; cognitive function; depression; pandemic; rehabilitation; stress.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Cognitive deficits for COVID-19 and post-COVID-19 patients. (A) MMSE (total score). (B) MoCA (total score). MMSE, Mini Mental State Examination; MoCA, Montreal Cognitive Assessment; numbers are reported as %. *p < 0.05.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Emotional disturbances for COVID-19 and post-COVID-19 patients. (A) Depression. (B) Psychological distress. Numbers are reported as %. *p < 0.05.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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