The state of cognitive functions in COVID-19 complicated by viral pneumonia in young and middle-aged patients in the period 2020–2022

Abstract

BACKGROUND. Currently, the study of the cognitive sphere in COVID-19 is an urgent problem.
 AIM. To determine the presence of cognitive dysfunction using valid scales MoCA, FAB, clock drawing test and their subscales in patients in the acute period of coronavirus infection, to compare the data of cognitive impairment in different epidemiological waves.
 MATERIAL AND METHODS. Two groups of subjects were included in the present study. Groups No. 1 and No. 2 are patients infected with COVID-19 in the acute period, complicated by pneumonia. Group No. 1 was hospitalized in the period December 2020 March 2021. Group No. 2 was hospitalized in the period November 2021 January 2022. To study the neuropsychological status, the neuropsychological scales MoCA, FAB, the clock drawing test and their subscales were used. Screening for anxiety and depression and depression was performed using the valid HADS scale. Quantitative data on the normality of the distribution of the sample was tested using the ShapiroWilk test. The MannWhitney test was used to compare unrelated groups. Quantitative data are presented as median and interquartile range Me [P25; P75]. Differences were considered statistically significant at p 0.05.
 RESULTS. Statistically significant differences were found in the acute period of coronavirus infection complicated by pneumonia and cognitive impairment in both group No. 1 and group No. 2, respectively. In group No. 1 (observation period from December 2020 to March 2021), cognitive impairments were more severe than in group No. 2 (observation period from November 2021 to January 2022). When comparing the subscales of the MoCA test of groups No. 1 and No. 2 upon admission to the hospital, and at discharge in group No. 1, the results of MoCA testing were worse than in group No. 2 according to subscales: attention, speech, memory, indicators were statistically significant (p 0.05). According to the FAB data, in group No. 1, the indicators on admission to the hospital and at discharge were also worse than in group No. 2, highly significant differences were according to the data: fluency of speech, dynamic praxis, simple and complicated choice reaction, grasping reflex study (p 0.001). Anxiety and depression were not found in the study groups.
 CONCLUSION. With the help of such valid scales as: the clock drawing test, MoCA, FAB and their subscales, the presence of cognitive dysfunction in young and middle-aged patients at different time intervals of observation was proved; in the first group, the violations were more severe than in the group No. 2.