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Neurocognitive Outcome Following Recovery from Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome – Coronavirus-1 (SARS-CoV-1)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 September 2021

Farena S. Pinnock Open the ORCID record for Farena S. Pinnock [Opens in a new window] ,
Jill B. Rich Open the ORCID record for Jill B. Rich [Opens in a new window] ,
Brandon Vasquez Open the ORCID record for Brandon Vasquez [Opens in a new window] ,
Melanie Wiegand ,
John Patcai Open the ORCID record for John Patcai [Opens in a new window] ,
Angela K. Troyer Open the ORCID record for Angela K. Troyer [Opens in a new window]  and
Kelly J. Murphy Open the ORCID record for Kelly J. Murphy [Opens in a new window]
Farena S. Pinnock*
Affiliation:
Neuropsychology & Cognitive Health, Baycrest Health Sciences, Toronto, ON, Canada
Jill B. Rich
Affiliation:
Neuropsychology & Cognitive Health, Baycrest Health Sciences, Toronto, ON, Canada Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada
Brandon Vasquez
Affiliation:
Neuropsychology & Cognitive Health, Baycrest Health Sciences, Toronto, ON, Canada Department of Occupational Science & Occupational Therapy, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
Melanie Wiegand
Affiliation:
Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada
John Patcai
Affiliation:
Department of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada Department of Medicine, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
Angela K. Troyer
Affiliation:
Neuropsychology & Cognitive Health, Baycrest Health Sciences, Toronto, ON, Canada Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
Kelly J. Murphy
Affiliation:
Neuropsychology & Cognitive Health, Baycrest Health Sciences, Toronto, ON, Canada Department of Psychology, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada
*
*Correspondence and reprint requests to: Farena Pinnock, PhD, Neuropsychology & Cognitive Health, Baycrest Health Sciences, 3560 Bathurst St, North York, ONM6A 2E1, Canada. Email: [email protected]
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Abstract

Objective:

Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is a highly contagious viral respiratory illness associated with hypoxia and dyspnea. Many of those who contracted and recovered from SARS during the 2002–2003 outbreak reported persistent physical, psychological, and cognitive difficulties. Here, we investigated the residual influences of SARS on cognition for a subset of healthcare professionals who recovered and were referred for neuropsychological evaluation through their workplace insurance.

Method:

Twenty-eight healthcare professionals were evaluated on neuropsychological and mood functioning approximately 1.5 years post-recovery from a severe respiratory illness. Test scores were compared with age-matched normative data, and correlations were examined between mood, self-report memory scales, subjective complaints (e.g., poor concentration, pain, fatigue), illness severity (i.e., length of hospitalization, oxygen use during hospital stay), and cognitive performance.

Results:

Participants performed within age expectations on the majority of cognitive measures including overall memory ability. Although processing speed was generally within normal limits, 43% showed significant speed–accuracy trade-offs favoring accuracy over maintaining speed. Deficits were observed on measures of complex attention, such as working memory and the ability to sustain attention under conditions of distraction. Participants endorsed poorer memory ability than same-age peers on a meta-memory measure and mild to moderate depression and anxiety symptoms. Objective test performance was largely uncorrelated with self-reports, mood, or illness severity, except for moderate correlations between complex attention and participants’ subjective ratings of Everyday Task-Oriented Memory.

Conclusions:

These findings demonstrate specific long-term cognitive deficits associated with SARS and provide further evidence of the cognitive effects of hypoxic illnesses.

Keywords

SARS virusSARSCoronavirusAcute respiratory illnessHypoxiaCognition
Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society , Volume 28 , Issue 9 , October 2022 , pp. 891 - 901
Copyright
Copyright © INS. Published by Cambridge University Press, 2021

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