The duration of cognitive changes which appeared simultaneously with emotional problems in an acute phase of coronavirus disease

Abstract

Cognitive impairments, anxiety/depression and insomnia are ones of the most stable and exhausting consequences in the majority of persons who experiences SARS-CoV2 or another β-coronaviral infection. To evaluate a probability of maintenance of cognitive deficits associated with COVID-19 and to determine a type of connection between cognitive and emotional problems in different time points after the COVID-19 acute phase, by means of the group of survival analysis methods, an analysis of results of a remote survey of 111 persons (mean age of 27.83 ± 0.70 years old) with a positive result of PCR test for SARS-CoV2 and without any chronic disease was carried out. A prevalence of a sudden appearance of complaints regarding negative cognitive changes during the COVID-19 acute phase was 77.48 %, whereas of complaints regarding unusual emotional feelings was 67.57 %. A comparison of profiles of the function of a simultaneous appearance of cognitive and emotional changes during the COVID-19 acute phase demonstrated that one year after the COVID-19 acute phase a probability of maintenance of complaints regarding cognitions was 3 times lower in persons who have cognitive and emotional problems appeared simultaneously during the acute phase, whereas this probability was 5,5 times lower in persons who had no emotional changes during the acute phase. A comparison of profiles of the function of a simultaneous maintenance of cognitive and emotional problems has showed that persons with a steady combination of cognitive and emotional problems had a 1,5 times higher probability of maintenance of complaints regarding cognitions during 6 months after the COVID-19 acute phase, as compared with persons those unusual emotional feelings disappeared. Differences in the character of unusual emotional feelings did not reflect practically on a probability of an appearance of combinations of complaints regarding these feelings and cognitions during the COVID-19 acute phase, but the type of emotional feelings reflected significantly on the profile of the functions of a simultaneous maintenance of cognitive and emotional changes. To detect probable reasons of complaints about a sudden appearance of cognitive problems, which decrease the capacity to work and/or complicate everyday life, it is important not only to establish the fact of experience of SARSCoV2 and other β-coronaviral infections during the last 12 months, but also to make more precise an appearance during the disease and a duration of unusual emotional feelings, as this information strongly influences on the quality of results of the cognitive screening, a choice of methods and time for the neurocognitive rehabilitation, and an assessment of their efficacy. Key words: COVID-19, cognitive changes, emotional problems, cognitive screening