The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.
ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Neurol.
Sec. Neuroinfectious Diseases
Volume 15 - 2024 |
doi: 10.3389/fneur.2024.1419134
This article is part of the Research Topic NeuroCOVID. Insights into the clinical manifestations and pathophysiology View all 8 articles
Exploring Cognitive Impairments and the Efficacy of Phosphatidylcholine and Computer-Assisted Cognitive Training in Post-Acute COVID-19 and Post-Acute COVID-19 Vaccination Syndrome
Provisionally accepted- 1 Department of Neurology, Lutheran Hospital Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- 2 Other, Vienna, Austria
- 3 Clinical Division for Infections and Tropical Medicine, University Clinic for Internal Medicine I, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- 4 Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences, Krems an der Donau, Lower Austria, Austria
Purpose: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to millions of confirmed cases worldwide, resulting in numerous deaths and hospitalizations. Long-term symptoms after infection or vaccination, known as Post-acute COVID-19 Syndrome (PACS) or Post-acute COVID-19 Vaccination Syndrome (PACVS), present a challenge for the healthcare system. Among the various neurological symptoms, cognitive impairments are frequently observed in PACS/PACVS patients. This study aimed to understand cognitive deficits in PACS/PACVS patients and evaluated potential treatment options, including phosphatidylcholine and computer-assisted cognitive training (CCT). Methods: The Neuro-COVID Outpatient Clinic at Evangelic Hospital Vienna evaluated n = 29 PACS/PACVS patients from May 2023 to October 2023. Enrolled patients were divided into three therapy schemes: Group A received phosphatidylcholine, B received phosphatidylcholine plus access to a computer-assisted cognitive training program, and C (divided into two subgroups) served as a control group. Cognitive impairments were evaluated in multiple assessments (initial and during therapy) using the COGBAT test. Simultaneously, an assessment of the quality of life was conducted using the WHOQOL-BREF. Results: Primary cognitive impairments, especially attentional deficits were notably evident compared to the general population. While all treatment groups showed cognitive improvement (significant or with a positive trend, but without reaching the level of statistical significance) after therapy, no significant interaction was found between assessment time points and treatment schemes for overall cognitive performance, attention, memory, and executive functions, suggesting consistency across the groups. The WHOQOL-BREF primarily demonstrated deficits in the domains of physical health and psychological well-being. Conclusion: This study examined the impact of PACS/PACVS on cognitive performance and evaluated phosphatidylcholine and CCT as potential treatment options. Patients with PACS/PACVS showed notable cognitive deficits, especially in the domain attention. While the effectiveness of phosphatidylcholine and CCT in treating cognitive deficits was inconclusive, the study indicated the possibility of spontaneous remission of cognitive deficits in PACS/PACVS.
Keywords: SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19, post-acute COVID-19 syndrome, Post-acute COVID-19 Vaccination Syndrome, Phosphatidylcholine, Computer-assisted cognitive training, WHOQOL-BREF
Received: 17 Apr 2024; Accepted: 23 Aug 2024.
Copyright: © 2024 Hotz, Kellerberger, Elea Jöchlinger, Danielova, Temiszoy, Ötsch, Goller, Yacob and Zifko. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Udo Zifko, Other, Vienna, Austria
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.