Outcome of severe COVID-19: spotlight on fatigue, fatigability, multidomain complaints and pattern of cognitive deficits in a case series without prior brain dysfunction and without COVID-19-related stroke and/or cardiac arrest.
J Med Case Rep
; 18(1): 64, 2024 Feb 02.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-38303088
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
Population-wide surveys and large-scale investigations highlighted the presence of cognitive deficits in the acute and postacute stages of severe COVID-19; a few studies documented their occurrence in cases without prior or COVID-19-related brain damage. The evolution of cognitive deficits in the latter population and their relationship to the post-COVID-19 fatigue syndrome are poorly understood. CASE PRESENTATION We report the outcome at 12 months after severe COVID-19 involving an intensive care unit stay and mechanical ventilation in six (five Caucasian and one Asian) patients (age range 53-71 years, mean age 61.7 ± 6.5 years) without history of prior brain dysfunction and without stroke and/or cardiac arrest during or after COVID-19. All patients reported pervading mental and physical fatigue as well as numerous multidomain complaints, which impacted everyday life. Individual patients described mental fatigability, apathy, and/or anxiety. Standardized neuropsychological tests revealed isolated symptoms of cognitive dysfunction or performance at the lower limit of the norm in the attentional, executive, and/or working memory domains in four of the six patients. Somatic scales documented dyspnoea, muscle weakness, olfactory disorder, and/or minor sleep problems in some, but not all, patients.CONCLUSION:
Fatigue, fatigability, multidomain complaints, cognitive difficulties, or dysfunction, as well as isolated neurobehavioral and/or psychiatric and/or somatic symptoms, tend to occur in the aftermath of severe COVID-19 and persist at 12 months, even in the absence of prior and/or COVID-19-related brain damage. This clinical situation, which impacts everyday life, calls for a detailed investigation of patients' complaints, its neural underpinning, and an elaboration of specific rehabilitation programs.Key words
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Brain Injuries
/
Stroke
/
Cognitive Dysfunction
/
COVID-19
/
Heart Arrest
Type of study:
Etiology_studies
Limits:
Aged
/
Humans
/
Middle aged
Language:
En
Journal:
J Med Case Rep
Year:
2024
Document type:
Article
Affiliation country:
Country of publication: