Post-COVID cognitive dysfunction: current status and research recommendations for high risk population

Abstract

Post-COVID cognitive dysfunction (PCCD) is a condition in which patients with a history of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, usually three months from the onset, exhibit subsequent cognitive impairment in various cognitive domains, and cannot be explained by an alternative diagnosis. While our knowledge of the risk factors and management strategy of PCCD is still incomplete, it is necessary to integrate current epidemiology, diagnosis and treatment evidence, and form consensus criteria to better understand this disease to improve disease management. Identifying the risk factors and vulnerable population of PCCD and providing reliable strategies for effective prevention and management is urgently needed. In this paper, we reviewed epidemiology, diagnostic markers, risk factors and available treatments on the disease, formed research recommendation framework for vulnerable population, under the background of post-COVID period.

Keywords: Diagnosis; Epidemiology; Long COVID; Management; Post-COVID cognitive dysfunction; Risk factors.

Fig. 1

Major PCCD cohort studies in the world. PCCD cohort studies were mainly concentrated in the United Kingdom, Spain, Iran and China, but mostly in regional level, instead of national level. PCCD: post-COVID cognitive dysfunction. The map of the world was downloaded and reproduced from the website (http://bzdt.ch.mnr.gov.cn/index.html), with drawing review No.: GS(2020)4401, and supervised by Ministry of Natural Resources.

Fig. 2

Research recommendationframework in high risk population.