The probability of neurocognitive disorders in patients at the postcovid stage

Boev, Oleg

Background and aims: Aктyaльнocть пocткoвидныx paccтpoйcтв y бoльныx oбycлoвлeнa oтcyтcтвиeм дaнныx o мexaнизмax вoзникнoвeния нeйpoкoгнитивныx paccтpoйcтв. Methods: Material and methods of research. We examined 22 people who had suffered from COVID-19, which made up two groups. The first main group – 10 patients with clinical signs of mild cognitive impairment (LCN), the second comparative group-12 patients without clinical signs of LCN. To detect LCN, neuropsychological tests MMSE were used, tests were performed: “establishing patterns”, visual-spatial function, semantic mediation and generalization. In the comparative analysis, the nonparametric criterion χ2 was used, based on the null hypothesis that there are no differences between the compared groups. Results: The results obtained. If in group 2 there was a positive dynamics of cognitive functions of patients in the form of a statistically significant (p < 0.05) increase in the number of correctly completed tasks on the MMSE test on average 27.9 ± 1.3, D = 10.3%;p < 0.05, “+” 2.6 points, then in group 1 there was no positive dynamics (p < 0.05). In group 2, there is an increase in words called in one repetition, averaging 1.3 words (20.3%), while in group 1 patients there is a negative trend (p < 0.05). In the“ digit repetition test”, the increase in the total score of reproduced digits both in the forward order (+2.2 points, 5.0% in contrast to the patients of group 1) and in the reverse order (+3.2 points, 8.5% in contrast to group 1)was significant (p < 0.05). The “Complex figure” revealed a significant (p < 0.05) decrease in the time spent on the task in patients of group 2 (−6.3 s, 10.5 % compared to group 1;p < 0.05). Conclusions: Thus, Covid-19 causes LCN in patients in at least 50% of cases.