Severe COVID-19 may accelerate cognitive decline in older people

Embargoed until: Publicly released: 2025-07-01 11:00

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US scientists say being hospitalised with COVID-19 may accelerate brain function decline among older people, compared with people who have not had COVID-19, but the same was not true for people with COVID-19 who were not hospitalised. The findings are based on 3,525 participants with an average age of just under 81, and the scientists say the link held true after accounting for several other factors that affect brain function decline.

Media release

From: JAMA

COVID-19 and Cognitive Change in a Community-Based Cohort

About The Study: This cohort study of older participants found accelerated decreases in cognition among individuals hospitalized for SARS-CoV-2 infection, but not nonhospitalized infection, in comparison with individuals not yet infected. These findings suggest that avoiding severe SARS-CoV-2 infection could help preserve cognitive function among older adults.

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Research JAMA, Web page

Journal/
conference: JAMA Network Open

Research:Paper

Organisation/s: Mayo Clinic, USA, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, USA

Funder: The C4R study is supported by the NHLBI–Collaborating Network of Networks for Evaluating COVID-19 and Therapeutic Strategies (grant No. OT2HL156812), with cofunding from the NINDS and the NIA. The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study has been funded in whole or in part by the NHLBI, the NIH, and US Department of Health and Human Services (contracts 75N92022D00001, 75N92022D00002, 75N92022D00003, 75N92022D00004, and 75N92022D00005). Neurocognitive data were collected under grants from the NHLBI, the NINDS, the NIA, and the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (grant Nos. U01 2U01HL096812, 2U01HL096814, 2U01HL096899, 2U01HL096902, and 2U01HL096917). Ancillary studies funded additional data elements. The Blood Pressure and Cognition Study is supported by the NINDS (grant R01 NS102715).

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