Corona infections reduce cognitive abilities, an analysis has shown. Covid-19 therefore triggers a “brain fog”.
London – Even after their recovery, Covid 19 sufferers often still show symptoms. The Post or Long Covid Syndrome is known for reduced performance. Concentration disorders and psychological impairments were also reported in this context. A study by the Imperial College London, who was EClinicalMedicinevorgestellt in the journal, now found out: after infection with the coronavirus intelligence decreases.
The researchers evaluated data on the mental performance of 81,337 people. These were collected between January and December 2020 as part of the “Great British Intelligence Test”. 12,689 subjects: around one eighth had previously suffered from Covid-19 disease, and some had been infected with the coronavirus in the course of the study.
Coronavirus cases with intensive medical treatment are much more severely affected
The researchers calculated factors such as age, gender, mother tongue and level of education. The result: Compared to the non-sick people, those who had recovered from the coronavirus did worse in the intelligence tests.
Particularly high deficits were observed in the areas of logical thinking, planning and problem solving. As the researchers explain, this manifests itself in the form of “brain fog”, concentration problems and word-finding disorders – the symptoms that have already been reported in connection with corona long-term effects.
In addition, there was a connection between the severity of the disease and the severity of the performance disorders. The greatest deficits were shown by patients who had to be ventilated. The decrease in IQ in these cases was 7 points and was thus even greater than in stroke patients.
Study on coronavirus and intelligence came about by chance
But even less seriously ill people did worse in the intelligence tests after recovery. “The analysis of markers of premorbid intelligence were able to confirm that the deficits were not present before the infection, ”the study authors point out.
The study only came about because the coronavirus pandemic happened to break out during the survey. The scientists adapted their research questions. “Some of my colleagues contacted me and pointed out the possibility of collecting important data on how the pandemic and Covid-19 disease impacted mental health and cognition,” psypost.org quotes Professor Adam Hampshire of Imperial College . “I had the same thoughts, wanted to help as far as I could, and expanded the study to include information about the effects of Covid-19 on daily life in general.” (Tanja Koch)
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