Jöbges Michael, Tempfli Melanie, Kohl Christoph, Herrmann Christoph, Kelm Stefan, Kupferschmitt Alexa, Montanari Ida, Walter Nike, Suetfels Gerhard, Loew Thomas, Köllner Volker, Hinterberger Thilo
Kliniken Schmieder Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany.
Department of Psychology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany.
Front Neurol. 2025 Jan 6;15:1486751. doi: 10.3389/fneur.2024.1486751. eCollection 2024.
Post COVID-19 condition (PCC) is increasingly recognized as a debilitating condition characterized by persistent symptoms following SARS-CoV-2 infection. Neuropsychological deficits, including cognitive impairments and fatigue, are prevalent in individuals with PCC. The PoCoRe study aimed to evaluate the burden of neuropsychological deficits in PCC patients undergoing multidisciplinary indoor rehabilitation and to describe possible changes in this symptomatology.
The PoCoRe study, a prospective, non-randomized, controlled longitudinal study, recruited PCC patients from six German indoor rehabilitation centers. Eligible participants underwent comprehensive neuropsychological assessments at admission and discharge. Various measures were employed, including the fatigue scale for motor functioning and cognition (FSMC), the Test Battery for Attention (TAP) and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA).
Out of the 1,086 recruited participants, a total of = 701 participants were included in the main data analysis. The prevalence of fatigue on admission was high (84.6%) and decreased significantly by discharge (77.4%), with a mild effect size. Reaction times on the alertness subtest were abnormal in 70% of patients on admission and 50% on discharge. Sustained attention was abnormal in 55% of patients on admission, decreasing to 43% on discharge. These differences were significant with mild effect sizes. Furthermore, of the 27% of participants with pathological MoCA scores at admission, 63% improved to normative levels during rehabilitation, indicating a significant treatment effect ( ≤ 0.001). However, the MoCA demonstrated limited sensitivity in detecting attention deficits.
The PoCoRe study highlights the high prevalence of neuropsychological deficits and fatigue in PCC patients, with notable improvements observed following multidisciplinary rehabilitation. Challenges remain in accurately identifying and addressing these deficits, underscoring the importance of comprehensive neuropsychological assessment and tailored rehabilitation interventions. Further research is warranted to optimize screening tools and enhance neuropsychological care for PCC patients in both rehabilitation and outpatient settings.
新冠后状况（PCC）越来越被认为是一种使人衰弱的状况，其特征是感染严重急性呼吸综合征冠状病毒2（SARS-CoV-2）后出现持续症状。神经心理缺陷，包括认知障碍和疲劳，在PCC患者中很普遍。PoCoRe研究旨在评估接受多学科室内康复的PCC患者的神经心理缺陷负担，并描述这种症状可能发生的变化。
PoCoRe研究是一项前瞻性、非随机、对照纵向研究，从六个德国室内康复中心招募PCC患者。符合条件的参与者在入院时和出院时接受了全面的神经心理评估。采用了各种测量方法，包括运动功能和认知疲劳量表（FSMC）、注意力测试组合（TAP）和蒙特利尔认知评估（MoCA）。
在招募的1086名参与者中，共有701名参与者纳入主要数据分析。入院时疲劳的患病率很高（84.6%），出院时显著下降（77.4%），效应量较小。警觉性子测试中的反应时间在入院时70%的患者中异常，出院时为50%。持续注意力在入院时55%的患者中异常，出院时降至43%。这些差异具有统计学意义，效应量较小。此外，入院时MoCA评分病理性的参与者中有27%，63%在康复期间改善到正常水平，表明有显著的治疗效果（P≤0.001）。然而，MoCA在检测注意力缺陷方面的敏感性有限。
PoCoRe研究突出了PCC患者神经心理缺陷和疲劳的高患病率，多学科康复后有显著改善。在准确识别和解决这些缺陷方面仍然存在挑战，强调了全面神经心理评估和量身定制的康复干预的重要性。有必要进行进一步研究，以优化筛查工具，并在康复和门诊环境中加强对PCC患者的神经心理护理。
