Neurocognitive Disorders

Although subjective and objective cognitive impairments are well-recognised post-COVID-19 infection, the comparison and synthesis of data are challenging. The heterogeneity and timing of cognitive assessments, the severity of infection, and indeed serological confirmation of COVID-19 in study participants alongside discourse in treatment [i.e. ambulatory, Intensive Care Unit (ICU)] currently make the available findings difficult to interpret and compare. Most studies measure cognitive impairment acutely or post-acutely, resulting in challenges in the differentiation of observed deficits from delirium and post-traumatic stress disorder sequelae. Moreover, the majority of studies utilise only brief cognitive measures, i.e. Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MOCA) and Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE), limiting understanding of the specific cognitive domains most affected following COVID-19 infection. Nevertheless, it is deficits in attention and executive functioning that appear to be most affected. In this book chapter, we critically review the clinical evidence for cognitive impairment post-COVID-19 infection from both cross-sectional and longitudinal studies, and the role of delirium in raising the risk for cognitive impairment in both younger and older people affected with the SARS-CoV-2 infection. We also review pharmacological and neuropsychological treatment for neurocognitive impairment in Long Covid patients.