My comment : this study is high quality af
Abstract
Background
Cognitive impairment can be caused by infections with various pathogens, including SARS-CoV-2. Research has yet to determine the true incidence and course of cognitive impairment in older adults following COVID-19. Furthermore, research has theorised that COVID-19 is associated with dementia progression and diagnosis but this association has yet to be fully described.
Methods
A systematic review was registered in Prospero and conducted on the databases PubMed, Embase, Ovid, CENTRAL and Cochrane Library. Studies reporting cognitive impairment and dementia outcomes in post-acute and post-COVID-19 patients aged ≥65 years, and which included control data, were included in this review.
Results
15,124 articles were identified by the search strategy. After eliminating duplicate titles and completing title, abstracts and full-text review, 18 studies were included comprising of 412,957 patients with COVID-19 (46.63 % male) and 411,929 patients without COVID-19 (46.59 % male). The overall mean Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) score in COVID-19 patients was 23.34 out of 30 (95 % CI [22.24, 24.43]). indicating cognitive impairment. The overall proportion of patients identified as having new onset cognitive impairment was 65 % (95 % CI [44,81]). Subgroup analyses indicated that time since infection significantly improves overall MoCA score and reduces proportion of patients with cognitive impairment.
Conclusion
This study indicates that cognitive impairment may be an important sequela of COVID-19. Further research with adequate sample sizes is warranted regarding COVID-19’s association with new-onset dementia and dementia progression, and the effect of repeat infections. There is a need for development of diagnostic and management protocols for COVID-19 patients with cognitive impairment.
I mean, if they think they have brain damage, yeah definitely see someone.
Not a doctor, grain of salt, etc, just a guy that's into cognition and behavioral training. But one of the tests they've been using to test for cognition issues has been the Go/NoGo test which is for testing both response times and impulse control. So, I would start doing meditations or therapies that would help with that. For memory issues, increasing structure in their daily life with more specific routines and habits are probably the way to go. Perhaps learning how to do (and consistently practicing!) memory palaces.
If y'all are feeling really adventurous, to combine meditation and structure, y'all might want to look into Magick. Underneath the woo, it's essentially using ritual and rhythm to build memory palaces with the intent of goal setting. Just throwing that out there. Rhythm, repetition, and pavlovian association are like the building block of memory and behavior. So once you learn to see how those things interact in storytelling and religion it's much easier to take a secular approach to it. The placebo effect often works even if you know you're faking it.