Affiliation:
1. Section of Neurology, Department of Biomedicine, Neuroscience and Advanced Diagnostics (BiND), University of Palermo, 90121 Palermo, Italy
Abstract
The Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection is characterized by severe flu-like symptoms, which can progress to life-threatening systemic inflammation and multiorgan dysfunction. The nervous system is involved in over one-third of patients, and the most common neurological manifestations concern the central nervous system, such as headache, fatigue, and brain fog. The activation of innate, humoral, and cellular immune responses, resulting in a cytokine storm and endothelial and mitochondrial dysfunctions, are the main pathophysiological mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Citicoline is an exogenous source of choline and cytidine involved in intracellular phospholipid synthesis, which improves blood flow, brain activity, and mitochondrial dysfunction. This report will present the case of a non-hospitalized, 59-year-old female. After a mild form of SARS-CoV-2 infection, the patient developed cognitive disturbances such as forgetfulness and anomia. The multidimensional neuropsychological assessment revealed an impairment in episodic memory with borderline performance in executive and visuospatial functioning. Cognitive rehabilitation and treatment with citicoline 1000 mg/daily led to a marked improvement in symptoms after six months. Early identification of the neurological sequelae of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) and timely rehabilitation interventions are required in non-hospitalized long-hauler patients with COVID-19. Long-term treatment with citicoline should be considered as potentially effective in improving cognitive functioning in subjects with Post COVID-19 Neurological Syndrome.
Reference39 articles.
1. Long covid—mechanisms, risk factors, and management;Crook;BMJ,2021
2. Neurologic Manifestations of Hospitalized Patients with Coronavirus Disease 2019 in Wuhan, China;Mao;JAMA Neurol.,2020
3. Neurological Consequences, Mental Health, Physical Care, and Appropriate Nutrition in Long-COVID-19;Picone;Cell. Mol. Neurobiol.,2022
4. New-onset headache following COVID-19: An Italian multicentre case series;Torrente;J. Neurol. Sci.,2023
5. Changes in Motor, Cognitive, and Behavioral Symptoms in Parkinson’s Disease and Mild Cognitive Impairment During the COVID-19 Lockdown;Baschi;Front. Psychiatry,2020