PhD Scientific Days 2023

Health Sciences II.

Impairments of Verbal Working Memory in Young Females in Post-COVID-19 Condition: Vaccination Prevents Cognitive Impairments

Előadó neve

Johanna, Takács, PhD

Neptun code

RUDFQ9

Előadó munkahelye

Department of Social Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Semmelweis University

Előadó telefonszáma

06303845263

Előadó e-mail címe

takacs.johanna@semmelweis.hu

Az előadás címe

Impairments of Verbal Working Memory in Young Females in Post-COVID-19 Condition: Vaccination Prevents Cognitive Impairments

Szerző(k) neve és munkahelye

Johanna Takács1, Akos Koller2,3,4
1 Department of Social Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
2 Department of Morphology and Physiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
3 Research Center for Sport Physiology, Hungarian University of Sports Science, Budapest
4 Institute of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Semmelweis University, Budapest

Bemutatás módja

Szóbeli

Szekció

Health Sciences II.

Language of the presentation

Hungarian

Preferred session

Health Sciences

Összefoglaló szövege

Introduction: One of the most commonly reported symptoms of post-COVID-19 condition (PCC) is cognitive dysfunction. There are only few studies examining long-term cognitive symptoms (LTCS), but they are restricted to adults/older adults and lack a control group. We hypothesized that cognitive dysfunctions occur in young females in PCC, and vaccination has a preventive role even after reinfection.
Aims: To assess LTCS in PCC after a mild infection, and examine the preventive role of vaccination in cognitive impairments.
Method: 15 months after the COVID-19 infection, cognitive assessment was conducted with Vienna Test System Neuro, measuring attention and executive functions as well as response inhibition. 74 young female adults aged between 18 and 34 (M=20.6±3) participated in the study. Test results are interpreted in percentile ranks (PR) and frequencies.
Results: 64.9% of the young females had mild acute COVID-19 illness; 27.1% reported long COVID symptoms (LC). The rate of reinfection was 29.2%, mostly after vaccination. Attention functions and inhibition response showed non-significant differences between the LC, infected (IG) and control CG (CG) groups. However, in divided attention, the rate of below-average performance (<25PR) was higher in LC (61.5%) and IG (62.9%) than in CG (34.6%). In verbal working memory, there was a significant difference between the groups (F(2,70)=4.731, p=0.012, η2p=0.12). LC showed lower working memory performance (MPR=28.6±5.4) than IG (MPR=46.5±3.3) and CG (MPR=47.5±3.8). 69.2% of LC showed below-average performance; this was 20% in IG and 26.9% in CG. Non-reinfected (MPR=44.4±3.6) and after-vaccination reinfected (MPR=41.2±5.2) females showed better verbal working memory performance than those reinfected before vaccination (MPR=26.1±9.8).
Conclusion: In young females COVID-19 infection elicits long-term mild cognitive impairments, especially in verbal working memory. Vaccination helps to prevent cognitive dysfunctions in verbal working memory even after reinfection. Thus, the follow-up would be necessary to control the progression of cognitive impairments with/without subjective complaints, especially after reinfection.
Funding. ÚNKP-22-4 New National Excellence Program of the Ministry for Culture and Innovation from the source of the National Research, Development and Innovation Fund.

University and Doctoral School

Other, please specify in the next box

Other university and doctoral school, not listed above

Schools of PhD Studies, Semmelweis University, ÚNKP-22-4

Supervisor

NA, ÚNKP-22-4

Publication of my abstract

I give consent to the publication of my abstract on the website of the congress.

Kind

Szabad

Status

elfogadva

Accepted presentation method

szóbeli

Előadás fájl jóváhagyás

nem rendelkezett róla

Előadó

7464

Start

15:45

End

16:00

Authors (legacy)

Johanna Takács1, Akos Koller2,3,4
1 Department of Social Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
2 Department of Morphology and Physiology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
3 Research Center for Sport Physiology, Hungarian University of Sports Science, Budapest
4 Institute of Translational Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Semmelweis University, Budapest