Study links COVID-19 to lasting neuropsychiatric issues, highlights vaccination benefits.
In a recent study researchers used a large, binational cohort (total n = 4,731,778) to investigate the short- and long-term associations between SARS-CoV-2 infections and subsequent adverse neuropsychiatric outcomes. They used exposure-driven propensity score matching to compare their samples’ outcomes against the general population and individuals with a non-SARS-CoV-2 respiratory infection.
The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‑CoV‑2) caused coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic remains one of the worst disease events in recorded human history, infecting approximately 700 million individuals and claiming more than 7 million lives in the three years since its discovery. Unfortunately for its survivors, the condition has been observed to induce long-term physical and psychological ailments that persist well past the disease’s primary infection.
Study findings revealed that COVID-19 survivors were at significantly heightened risk of developing cognitive deficits, insomnia, encephalitis, and at least four other neuropsychiatric sequelae. Specific conditions included Guillain-Barré syndrome (aHR, 4.63), cognitive deficit (aHR, 2.67), insomnia (aHR, 2.40), anxiety disorder (aHR, 2.23), encephalitis (aHR, 2.15), ischaemic stroke (aHR, 2.00), mood disorder (aHR, 1.93), and nerve/nerve root/plexus disorder (aHR, 1.47). Encouragingly, vaccination was observed to attenuate the neuropsychiatric effects of the infection. These results are particularly interesting to clinicians and healthcare policymakers as they imply that the early management of COVID-19 may help their patients’ short- and long-term mental health.
The discovery and validation cohorts initially comprised 10,027,506 and 12,218,680 participants, respectively. Exclusion of individuals with incomplete health records, a previous history of neuropsychiatric disorders, COVID-19 and ARI (Another Respiratory Infection) coinfections, and multiple confirmed COVID-19 reinfections resulted in a final sample size of 4,731,778 participants. The mean age of study participants was found to be 48.4 years, with 50.1% of individuals being male.
Short-term (<30 days following infection recovery) risk assessments revealed that COVID-19 survivors had a substantially elevated risk of neuropsychiatric events (aHR = 2.35) compared to the general populace, with some conditions, particularly encephalitis (aHr = 12.34), Guillain-Barré syndrome (aHR = 11.89) and insomnia (aHR = 5.36) presenting alarmingly increased risk. These findings were consistent (albeit attenuated) with those observed in SARS-CoV-2 infection versus ARI comparisons, with the former presenting an aHR of 1.36 compared to the latter.
Long-term risk assessments similarly revealed that COVID-19 survivors were significantly more likely to retain neuropsychiatric disorders for longer than 30 days when compared to the general populace and ARI (aHR = 1.71 and 1.60, respectively).
“Guillain-Barré syndrome had the highest hazard ratio post-COVID-19 diagnosis (aHR, 4.63; 95% CI, 1.66–12.98), followed by cognitive deficit (aHR, 2.67; 95% CI, 1.39–5.15), insomnia (aHR, 2.40; 95% CI, 2.15–2.69), anxiety disorder (aHR, 2.23; 95% CI, 2.08–2.40), encephalitis (aHR, 2.15; 95% CI, 1.18–3.94), ischaemic stroke (aHR, 2.00; 95% CI, 1.64–2.44), mood disorder (aHR, 1.93; 95% CI, 1.77–2.09) and nerve/nerve root/ plexus disorder (aHR, 1.47; 95% CI, 1.36–1.59).”
Time attenuation evaluations revealed that while South Korean individuals returned to near general populace risk levels in 12 months following initial infection recovery, the same was not valid for the Japanese cohort. Encouragingly, the patient-level risk of neuropsychiatric events was strongly associated with infection severity and vaccination status – risks were lower in mild SARS-CoV-2 infections and when multiple vaccinations were received.
In a recent study researchers used a large, binational cohort (total n = 4,731,778) to investigate the short- and long-term associations between SARS-CoV-2 infections and subsequent adverse neuropsychiatric outcomes. They used exposure-driven propensity score matching to compare their samples’ outcomes against the general population and individuals with a non-SARS-CoV-2 respiratory infection.
The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‑CoV‑2) caused coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic remains one of the worst disease events in recorded human history, infecting approximately 700 million individuals and claiming more than 7 million lives in the three years since its discovery. Unfortunately for its survivors, the condition has been observed to induce long-term physical and psychological ailments that persist well past the disease’s primary infection.
Study findings revealed that COVID-19 survivors were at significantly heightened risk of developing cognitive deficits, insomnia, encephalitis, and at least four other neuropsychiatric sequelae. Specific conditions included Guillain-Barré syndrome (aHR, 4.63), cognitive deficit (aHR, 2.67), insomnia (aHR, 2.40), anxiety disorder (aHR, 2.23), encephalitis (aHR, 2.15), ischaemic stroke (aHR, 2.00), mood disorder (aHR, 1.93), and nerve/nerve root/plexus disorder (aHR, 1.47). Encouragingly, vaccination was observed to attenuate the neuropsychiatric effects of the infection. These results are particularly interesting to clinicians and healthcare policymakers as they imply that the early management of COVID-19 may help their patients’ short- and long-term mental health.
The discovery and validation cohorts initially comprised 10,027,506 and 12,218,680 participants, respectively. Exclusion of individuals with incomplete health records, a previous history of neuropsychiatric disorders, COVID-19 and ARI (Another Respiratory Infection) coinfections, and multiple confirmed COVID-19 reinfections resulted in a final sample size of 4,731,778 participants. The mean age of study participants was found to be 48.4 years, with 50.1% of individuals being male.
Short-term (<30 days following infection recovery) risk assessments revealed that COVID-19 survivors had a substantially elevated risk of neuropsychiatric events (aHR = 2.35) compared to the general populace, with some conditions, particularly encephalitis (aHr = 12.34), Guillain-Barré syndrome (aHR = 11.89) and insomnia (aHR = 5.36) presenting alarmingly increased risk. These findings were consistent (albeit attenuated) with those observed in SARS-CoV-2 infection versus ARI comparisons, with the former presenting an aHR of 1.36 compared to the latter.
Long-term risk assessments similarly revealed that COVID-19 survivors were significantly more likely to retain neuropsychiatric disorders for longer than 30 days when compared to the general populace and ARI (aHR = 1.71 and 1.60, respectively).
“Guillain-Barré syndrome had the highest hazard ratio post-COVID-19 diagnosis (aHR, 4.63; 95% CI, 1.66–12.98), followed by cognitive deficit (aHR, 2.67; 95% CI, 1.39–5.15), insomnia (aHR, 2.40; 95% CI, 2.15–2.69), anxiety disorder (aHR, 2.23; 95% CI, 2.08–2.40), encephalitis (aHR, 2.15; 95% CI, 1.18–3.94), ischaemic stroke (aHR, 2.00; 95% CI, 1.64–2.44), mood disorder (aHR, 1.93; 95% CI, 1.77–2.09) and nerve/nerve root/ plexus disorder (aHR, 1.47; 95% CI, 1.36–1.59).”
Time attenuation evaluations revealed that while South Korean individuals returned to near general populace risk levels in 12 months following initial infection recovery, the same was not valid for the Japanese cohort. Encouragingly, the patient-level risk of neuropsychiatric events was strongly associated with infection severity and vaccination status – risks were lower in mild SARS-CoV-2 infections and when multiple vaccinations were received.
