.jpg "Khayam Khan, MBBS photo")
Khayam Khan, MBBS
Clinical Research Intern
Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
New Brunswick, NJ
Disclosure information not submitted.
Sean Hong
Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
New Brunswick, NJ
Disclosure information not submitted.
Katie larmour, BA
Research Fellow
Rutgers University
New Brunswick, New Jersey, United States
Disclosure information not submitted.
Sabiha Hussain, MD,MPH
Associate Professor of Medicine
Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School
New Brunswick, New Jersey, United States
Disclosure information not submitted.
Title: Neurocognitive Manifestations of Post-COVID Syndrome
Introduction: 194 million individuals were infected by SARs-COV 2 over the past 1.5 years. 58.2 million (30%) are projected to develop post-COVID related neurological syndrome. There are no studies correlating MRI findings with neurocognitive manifestations. Our post-COVID program is working to better define the neurocognitive manifestations.
Methods: A prospective analysis of patients enrolled in the Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Post-COVID Recovery program was performed. Patients completed a neurology phone screen that consisted of learning, reverse digit, recall, letter fluency, and oral trail questions. Those who screened positive were referred to the cognitive neurology department. Details regarding disease and treatment course, MRI findings, and mental health were collected from outpatient visits, the electronic medical record, and REDCap surveys.
Results: At 2-9 months follow up, 85 post-COVID patients were referred to Neurology for a positive neurocognitive screening. Patients were between the ages of 21-74, most were females (68%) and the racial breakdown was White (60%), Hispanic (18%), Black (8%), and Asian (4%). 52 out of 85 (62%) screened positive for neurological symptoms. Full neurocognitive assessment found 23 out of 52 (44%) to be abnormal. Neurocognitive symptoms were memory loss (39%), headache (27%), multiple neurological symptoms (21%), brain fog (15%), new confusion (10.6%), and numbness (10%). 35% of the abnormal neuro screen patients had abnormal MRI findings: white matter T2 hyper-intensities in the peri-ventricular and sub-cortical white matter, frontal cortex bilaterally and pontine foci along with encephalomalacia within the cerebellum. 2 out of 28 patients who were hospitalized and required home oxygen had abnormal MRI findings.(RR=1.50; 95% CI:0.15,14.68; p value=0.4).
Conclusion: Neurocognitive consequences of post-COVID syndrome have affected the daily life of 62% of our patients. This prospective evaluation of post-COVID patients in our program reveals some abnormal MRI findings and suggests that it may not be correlated with hospitalization. Further studies will be needed to better define and address this debilitating consequence of post-COVID.