Researchers Look Into The Effects of Viral Infection On Cognition

Aug, 2022 - by CMI

Study highlighted the significance of a thorough evaluation when determining potential treatments for COVID-19 patients who are feeling worn out.

Fatigue has been linked to illnesses like post -viral infection and neurological problems. However, despite the fact that it might be generically described in these words, this clinical illness is difficult for doctors to diagnose as there is no agreed definition of it. Given that fatigue is a viral infection symptom, it was suggested that it might be one of the signs of SARS-CoV-2 infection. According to the study, the prevalence of COVID-19-related apathy increased from 17% prior to infection to 62% following infection.

According to a recent study from the Universitat Oberta de Catalunya (UOC in Brain and Behavior), the illness had a widespread negative influence on executive functioning, learning, long-term memory, and attention abilities. Moreover, more unknown facts discovered, according to scientific research, between 9% and 49% of patients report weariness four weeks after the start of illness. In at least one-third of individuals, it might even last a full year.  There hasn't been any laboratory research on a potential connection between fatigue and anxiety or depression in people with extended COVID. It has been demonstrated that anxiety, despair, and apathy are linked to fatigue in long-term COVID patients.

Eight months after catching COVID-19 and 136 patients who had cognitive impairment were investigated by researchers. It was discovered that prolonged attention, which is required to complete a task, is connected to exhaustion. The study's findings emphasise the significance of using a comprehensive approach when assessing and thinking through potential treatments for COVID-19 patients who are feeling exhausted.  However, there are still a lot of open issues: how the changes in the brain are manifested, who is more prone to experience these symptoms for an extended period of time, how long they last, and what personal qualities are indicators of recovery. Due to the novelty of this field, researchers find further studies to provide long-term answers to all of these queries.