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Neurological and psychological effects of long COVID in a young population: A cross-sectional study

Neurological and psychological effects of long COVID

This study analyzed neurological symptoms at the onset of illness, after 1 month and after 3-5 months in 322 pediatric patients who tested positive for COVID-19. 1

They found that, “At the onset of COVID-19, 60% of the total sample exhibited symptoms; this decreased after 1 month (20%) but stabilized 3–5 months after disease onset (22%). Prevailing long-COVID neurological symptoms were headache, fatigue, and anosmia.”

“Long-term studies in paediatric patients have reported both neurological problems (headache, fatigue, myalgia, and loss of taste or smell), cognitive issues (memory, language, and attention), and neuropsychiatric symptoms (anxiety, depression, and PTSD).”

“In the 1.5–5-year-old subgroup, internalizing problems emerged in 12% of patients. In the 6–18-year-old subgroup, anxiety and post-traumatic stress showed significant associations with neurological symptoms of long COVID.”

“These data demonstrate that long COVID presents various broad-spectrum symptoms, including psychological and long-lasting cognitive issues. If not treated, these symptoms could significantly compromise the quality of life of children and adolescents.”

  1. Guido CA, Lucidi F, Midulla F, Zicari AM, Bove E, Avenoso F, Amedeo I, Mancino E, Nenna R, De Castro G, Capponi M, Cinicola BL, Brindisi G, Grisoni F, Murciano M, Spalice A; Long-Covid Group of Department of Maternal Sciences. Neurological and psychological effects of long COVID in a young population: A cross-sectional study. Front Neurol. 2022 Aug 17;13:925144. doi: 10.3389/fneur.2022.925144. PMID: 36062008; PMCID: PMC9428748.
  2. Savino R, Polito AN, Arcidiacono G, Poliseno M, Lo Caputo S. Neuropsychiatric Disorders in Pediatric Long COVID-19: A Case Series. Brain Sci. 2022 Apr 19;12(5):514. doi: 10.3390/brainsci12050514. PMID: 35624901; PMCID: PMC9138973.
  3. Owji M, Naser Moghadasi A, Gholamian F, Mousavi SY. Obsessive compulsive disorder as a presenting symptom of COVID-19: A case-series from Iran. Caspian J Intern Med. 2022;13(Suppl 3):259-263. doi: 10.22088/cjim.13.0.259. PMID: 35872671; PMCID: PMC9272957.