Thirty-six percent of patients with long COVID-19 conditions reported experiencing cognitive deficits after 30 days, according to new research published May 5 in JAMA.
Researchers from the University of California Los Angeles assessed data from 1,296 patients between April 2020 to February 2021 through surveys of their post COVID-19 symptoms, which were given at 30 days, 60 days and 90 days after symptom onsets.
Within the first 30 days after an outpatient COVID-19 infection or hospitalization with one that patients reported cognitive decline the most. Between 60 and 90 days, reports of the symptom were more stable, researchers noted.
Although women and individuals between 40 and 59 years of age were slightly more likely to experience cognitive dysfunction, overall researchers noted that "no demographic or clinical factors … were associated with patient report of a perceived cognitive deficit."
Cognitive dysfunction symptoms were not reported in about 50 percent of patients experiencing long COVID, highlighting that the disease is a "heterogeneous" condition, researchers wrote.
Researchers suggest further study about the complexities of long COVID-19 or post-COVID-19 conditions.