Preserved perception-action integration in adolescents after a COVID-19 infection

Abstract

Evidence is accumulating that the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) can bring forth deficits in executive functioning via alterations in the dopaminergic system. Importantly, dopaminergic pathways have been shown to modulate how actions and perceptions are integrated within the brain. Such alterations in event file binding could thus underlie the cognitive deficits developing after a COVID-19 infection. We examined action-perception integration in a group of young people (11-19 years of age) that had been infected with COVID-19 before study participation (n = 34) and compared them to a group of uninfected healthy controls (n = 29) on the behavioral (i.e., task accuracy, reaction time) and neurophysiological (EEG) level using an established event file binding paradigm. Groups did not differ from each other regarding demographic variables or in reporting psychiatric symptoms. Overall, multiple lines of evidence (behavioral and neurophysiological) suggest that action-perception integration is preserved in adolescents who suffered from COVID-19 prior to study participation. Event file binding processes were intact in both groups on all levels. While cognitive impairments can occur following a COVID-19 infection, the study demonstrates that action-perception integration as one of the basic building blocks of cognition seems to be largely unaffected in adolescents with a rather mild course of the disease.

Figure 1

Raincloud Plots and Line Graph of the Task Effect in the Covid (a, c, e) and No Covid (b, d, f) Group for Task Accuracy. Task accuracy displays the percentage of correct responses (m ± SE).

Figure 2

Raincloud Plots and Line Graph of the Task Effect in the Covid (a, c, e) and No Covid (b, d, f) Group for Reaction time. Reaction time was measured in milliseconds (ms; m ± SE).

Figure 3

Results of the standard event-related potential (ERP). The plot on the left side (a) illustrates standard ERPs at the P3 electrode during the reduced S-R task in the Covid group. The plot on the right side (b) illustrates standard ERPs at the P3 electrode during the reduced S-R task in the No Covid group. The alternation condition is illustrated in dark red colour during no overlapping trials and illustrated in dark blue in full overlapping conditions. Repeating trials are either illustrated in light red for no overlapping conditions or illustrated in light blue in fully overlapping conditions. While the x-axis displays the time in seconds (s) based on the onset of the target, the y-axis shows the ERP’s amplitude in μV/m². The scalp topographies illustrate the peak’s potential distribution, showing red colours for positive potentials and blue colours for negative potentials.

Figure 4

The plots display the RIDE analysis results for the S-cluster at the P3, C3, and FCz electrode for the Covid (a, c, e) as well as for the No Covid (b, d, f) group. The alternation condition is illustrated in dark red colour during no overlapping trials and illustrated in dark blue in full overlapping conditions. Repeating trials are either illustrated in light red for no overlapping conditions or illustrated in light blue in fully overlapping conditions. While the x-axis displays the time in seconds (s) based on the onset of the target, the y-axis shows the ERP’s amplitude in μV/m². The scalp topographies illustrate the peak’s potential distribution, showing red colours for positive potentials and blue colours for negative potentials.

Figure 5

The plots display the RIDE analysis results for the C-cluster at the P3, C3, and FCz electrode for the Covid (a, c, e) as well as for the No Covid (b, d, f) group. The alternation condition is illustrated in dark red colour during no overlapping trials and illustrated in dark blue in full overlapping conditions. Repeating trials are either illustrated in light red for no overlapping conditions or illustrated in light blue in fully overlapping conditions. While the x-axis displays the time in seconds (s) based on the onset of the target, the y-axis shows the ERP’s amplitude in μV/m². The scalp topographies illustrate the peak’s potential distribution, showing red colours for positive potentials and blue colours for negative potentials.

Figure 6

The plots display the RIDE analysis results for the R-cluster at the C3 and C4 electrode for the Covid (a, c) as well as for the No Covid (b, d) group. The alternation condition is illustrated in dark red colour during no overlapping trials and illustrated in dark blue in full overlapping conditions. Repeating trials are either illustrated in light red for no overlapping conditions or illustrated in light blue in fully overlapping conditions. While the x-axis displays the time in seconds (s) based on the onset of the target, the y-axis shows the ERP’s amplitude in μV/m². The scalp topographies illustrate the peak’s potential distribution, showing red colours for positive potentials and blue colours for negative potentials.

Figure 7

The sequence of stimuli and response cues in the S-R-R task. Please refer to the Method section for further information regarding the timing, etc. Adopted from Eggert et al..