The NeuroCOVID-19 Syndrome: Cognitive and Psychological Profiles, Physiopathology, and Impact on Neurologically Vulnerable Populations

The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) global pandemic, caused by Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has led to the identification of a broad range of post-acute Covid neurological symptoms including cognitive impairments, specific executive dysfunctions with sensorimotor deficits (paresthesia, numbness, or weakness of specific body parts), changes in sleep, changes in taste or smell, hallucinations, emotional distress (anxiety, depression), and fatigue/asthenia. Alarmingly, those post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC) can occur several weeks after infection, arise after severe, mild, or even asymptomatic SARS-CoV2 infection, and are characterized by the persistence, worsening, or new onset of chronic and debilitating neurological symptoms, which have led to the use of NeuroCOVID syndrome terminology. A link between COVID-19-related neurological symptoms and other neurological diseases has not been clearly established, but an increasing number of studies report an increase in mortality post-SARS-CoV-2 infection and an atypical clinical presentation of COVID-19 in patients with dementia. Another intriguing discovery is that survivors that did not suffer from neurodegenerative diseases before the COVID-19 infection seem to be at high risk for subsequent development of neurological disease and in particular Alzheimer’s disease, and to develop early-dementia symptoms. However, the pathophysiology of those associations is not yet delineated, and more research is needed on NeuroCOVID in both the general population and in specific subgroups affected by neurological disorders. As the COVID-19 pandemic could cause a significant rise in the number of dementia patients in the long term, there is an urgent need to understand how PASC is associated with neurodegenerative disorders or with a worsening of neurologic symptoms in neurologically vulnerable populations.

This Research Topic aims to deepen the knowledge on cognitive and neuropsychological symptoms in NeuroCOVID syndrome and highlight the latest research relevant for the prevention and management of cognitive deficits related to post-acute COVID-19 syndrome. Our goal is to improve the knowledge of the risk factors and physiopathology of the NeuroCovid cognitive deficits and other neurological manifestations, by raising the discussion on the psychosocial involvement as well as on the predictive value of objective neurological biomarkers. Ultimately, this Research Topic could be useful, precious, and practical for both researchers and clinicians in the diagnosis and person-centered care management of patients.

We welcome the submission of any type of manuscript supported by the journal (including Original Research, Brief Research Report, Review, etc.) related to the following themes:
• The physiopathology of PASC cognitive and neurological manifestations at the anatomic, cellular, and molecular levels.
• Brain anatomy of the related central nervous system structures implicated in PASC cognitive dysfunctions.
• The predictive value of objective neurological biomarkers, such as serum or CSF biomarkers, PET or SPECT scans, and functional MRI measures of neuronal lysis and cerebral metabolism.
• The prevalence, duration, and management of cognitive deficits related to PASC.
• Risk factors related to neuropsychological involvement.
• Cognitive repercussions in neurologically vulnerable populations (aging, psychiatric disorders, neurodevelopmental disorders, dementia, etc.).

Prof. Ludivine Chamard-Witkowski acts as Principal Investigator in clinical trials funded by Cassava Sciences and Merck group. Dr. Caroline Jose is co-author on a patent on Local anesthetics and use thereof in cancer (European Patent N.13306023.6, 08/2013) and she is founder and owner of the translation services company AntonymeRedaction©. Prof. Thorsten Rudroff declares no competing interests with regard to the Research Topic subject.