Attention Impairments Identified in COVID-19 Survivors

RICHMOND, Va. - Oct. 20, 2020 - PRLog -- Using a proprietary Continuous Performance Test (CPT), a recent study comparing recovered COVID-19 patients to a matched control group has discovered significant sustained attention impairments in patients who recovered from COVID-19. Although no significant differences were found between the COVID-19 patients and control group in the first part of the CPT, the COVID-19 group scored significantly lower in the third part of the test.  Also, slower reaction times were found to significantly correlate with COVID-19 inflammation levels. This study additionally evaluated memory, processing speed, executive functioning and perceptual abilities. However, only attention functioning was found to differentiate the two groups. This study's findings suggest impairments in attention – particularly sustained attention – may be a key symptom of COVID brain fog.

University of Colorado School of Medicine professor, Dr. Victoria Pelak, suggested that side-effects of brain cell inflammation most likely cause COVID-19 brain fog. COVID-19 is recognized as more likely than other viruses to attack the protective coating of brain cells; resulting in the demyelination of nerve cells. Thus, research has identified the potential means whereby COVID-19 leads to "brain fog." Also, it was found that many who have recovered from COVID-19 exhibit some form of mental health issues, such as depression and anxiety. Consequently, the evaluation of the attentional functioning of all COVID-19 survivors along with mental health screening may prove useful for assessing the continued impact of this virus on general cognitive and emotional functioning post-recovery.

Due to the fallout from the world-wide pandemic, unforeseen challenges continue to arise, including difficulties faced by recovering patients needing to integrate back into the workforce. COVID-19 can significantly impact attention, taking  its toll on one's capability to return to premorbid functioning. In support of the quest to better understand COVID-19 and its repercussions, BrainTrain is now making the IVA-AE2 Test of Attention available free of charge to researchers desiring to investigate and analyze its cognitive impacts. This offer expires on December 31, 2020 and will be customized for each research study, as needed.

The IVA-AE2 measures  adult visual and auditory attention and attention and response control, takes about 10 minutes, and can be administered (to individuals ages 18 and older) in-office using a Windows PC or remotely via web browser or iPad. Detailed reports and analyses are also provided to help guide researchers in test interpretation.

For more information on BrainTrain's IVA-AE2 please visit https://www.braintrain.com/ivaae2/ or email contact@braintrain.com or call 800-822-0538. Researchers can visit https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022395620308542 for direct access to the research study cited above.