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. 2022 Apr;43(4):2187-2193.
doi: 10.1007/s10072-022-05907-1. Epub 2022 Jan 22.

Neurological involvement associated with COVID-19 disease: a study on psychosocial factors

Arianna Mariniello  1 , Silvia Schiavolin  2 , Francesca Magnani  1 , Viviana Cristillo  3 , Stefano Cotti Piccinelli  3 , Nicola Zoppi  3 , Giulio Bonzi  3 , Davide Sattin  4 , Fabiola Silvaggi  1 , Alberto Raggi  1 , Martina Cacciatore  1 , Erika Guastafierro  1 , Claudia Toppo  1 , Stefano Gipponi  3 , Ilenia Libri  3 , Michela Bezzi  5 , Matilde Leonardi  1 , Andrea Pilotto  3 , Alessandro Padovani  3
Affiliations

Neurological involvement associated with COVID-19 disease: a study on psychosocial factors

Arianna Mariniello et al. Neurol Sci. 2022 Apr.

Abstract

Background: Several people affected by COVID-19 experienced neurological manifestations, altered sleep quality, mood disorders, and disability following hospitalization for a long time.

Objective: To explore the impact of different neurological symptoms on sleep quality, mood, and disability in a consecutive series of patients previously hospitalized for COVID-19 disease.

Methods: We evaluated 83 patients with COVID-19 around 3 months after hospital discharge. They were divided into 3 groups according to their neurological involvement (i.e., mild, unspecific, or no neurological involvement). Socio-demographic, clinical data, disability level, emotional distress, and sleep quality were collected and compared between the three groups.

Results: We found that higher disability, depressive symptoms, and lower sleep quality in patients with mild neurological involvement compared to patients with unspecific and no neurological involvement. Differences between groups were also found for clinical variables related to COVID-19 severity.

Conclusion: After 3 months from hospital discharge, patients with more severe COVID-19 and mild neurological involvement experienced more psychosocial alterations than patients with unspecific or no neurological involvement. Both COVID-19 and neurological manifestations' severity should be considered in the clinical settings to plain tailored interventions for patients recovering from COVID-19.

Keywords: COVID-19; HADS; Neurological manifestation; PSQI; WHODAS-12.

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Conflict of interest statement

Andrea Pilotto served on the advisory board of Z-cube (technology division of Zambon pharmaceuticals); he received honoraria from Z-cube s.r.l., Biomarin, Zambon, Abbvie, Nutricia and Chiesi pharmaceuticals. He received research support from Vitaflo Germany and Zambon Italy. Alessandro Padovani is consultant and served on the scientific advisory board of GE Healthcare, Eli-Lilly and Actelion Ltd. Pharmaceuticals and received speaker honoraria from Nutricia, PIAM, Langstone Technology, GE Healthcare, Lilly, UCB Pharma and Chiesi Pharmaceuticals. He is funded by grant of the Ministry of University (MURST).

The other authors declare no competing interests.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
The figure shows the box-plots of the PROMs for each group of patients. a represents the box-plots of the WHODAS-12 total score in percentage. b represents the box-plots of the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) total score. c represents the box-plots of the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS) total score (upper part), and both the HADS anxiety and depression score (lower part). Stars represent a significant difference (p < 0.05)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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