COGNITIVE DISORDERS IN PATIENTS INFECTED WITH COVID-19: A NARRATIVE REVIEW

Abstract

Objective: The overactivated immune system due to COVID-19 may be responsible for most of its physiological manifestations, including the neurological ones. Methods: The scientific articles were searched by two independent researchers in the MEDLINE (PubMed), LILACS, SciELO, Scopus, Web of Science, and BIREME databases, with no restriction of language, period, or place of publication. To complement and avoid the bias of risk, gray literature was searched in Google Scholar. The narrative review followed the recommendations of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). The studies included in the research had scored ≥ 6 points in the qualitative protocol proposed by Pithon et al. (2015). Results: COVID-19 patients commonly have neurological manifestations. The patients’ age was an important risk factor for neuropsychological deficiencies due to COVID-19. Increased fatigability and deficits in concentration, memory, and overall cognitive speed are reported months after hospital discharge. Also, the studies showed that the phase of the disease in which the patient is found directly interferes with the manifestation of the cognitive changes. Conclusion: Cognitive changes are frequently found months after hospital discharge in COVID-19 patients. A slower cognitive processing speed and impaired memory may interfere with the patients’ daily functioning and their capacity to return to work. Hence, cognitive rehabilitation interventions aiming to increase the processing speed and memory must also be considered for this population.