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Meta-Analysis
. 2022 May;18(5):1047-1066.
doi: 10.1002/alz.12644. Epub 2022 Mar 17.

Changes in cognitive functioning after COVID-19: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Lucia Crivelli  1 , Katie Palmer  2   3 , Ismael Calandri  1 , Alla Guekht  4 , Ettore Beghi  5 , William Carroll  6 , Jennifer Frontera  7 , David García-Azorín  8 , Erica Westenberg  9 , Andrea Sylvia Winkler  10 , Francesca Mangialasche  2   3 , Ricardo F Allegri  1   11 , Miia Kivipelto  2   3   12   13   14
Affiliations
Meta-Analysis

Changes in cognitive functioning after COVID-19: A systematic review and meta-analysis

Lucia Crivelli et al. Alzheimers Dement. 2022 May.

Abstract

Introduction: We conducted a systematic review and meta-analysis of the cognitive effects of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in adults with no prior history of cognitive impairment.

Methods: Searches in Medline/Web of Science/Embase from January 1, 2020, to December 13, 2021, were performed following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. A meta-analysis of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) total score comparing recovered COVID-19 and healthy controls was performed.

Results: Oof 6202 articles, 27 studies with 2049 individuals were included (mean age = 56.05 years, evaluation time ranged from the acute phase to 7 months post-infection). Impairment in executive functions, attention, and memory were found in post-COVID-19 patients. The meta-analysis was performed with a subgroup of 290 individuals and showed a difference in MoCA score between post-COVID-19 patients versus controls (mean difference = -0.94, 95% confidence interval [CI] -1.59, -0.29; P = .0049).

Discussion: Patients recovered from COVID-19 have lower general cognition compared to healthy controls up to 7 months post-infection.

Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus; attention; cognition; cognitive dysfunction; executive functions; neuropsychological test.

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Conflict of interest statement

None.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
PRISMA flow chart describing the screening and selection of articles
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
MoCA meta‐analysis forest plot
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
Influential Assessment
FIGURE 4
FIGURE 4
MoCA meta‐analysis publication bias
FIGURE 5
FIGURE 5
Meta‐regression Model: MoCA by age
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Comment in

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