Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38902696›Full record

ArticleBMC medicine2024

EEG signatures of cognitive decline after mild SARS-CoV-2 infection: an age-dependent study.

Yike Sun, Jingnan Sun, Xiaogang Chen, Yijun Wang, Xiaorong Gao

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC medicine, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

7 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
  2. Article
  3. Neuroimmune pathophysiology of long COVID.Psychiatry and clinical neurosciences · 2025
    Review
  4. Article
  5. Article
  6. Review
  7. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Yike Sun *The School of Biomedical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.
Jingnan Sun *The School of Biomedical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China.
Xiaogang ChenInstitute of Biomedical Engineering, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, 300192, China.
Yijun WangInstitute of Semiconductor, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100083, China.
Xiaorong GaoThe School of Biomedical Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing, 100084, China. gxr-dea@mail.tsinghua.edu.cn.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundCurrent research on the neurological impact of SARS-CoV-2 primarily focuses on the elderly or severely ill individuals. This study aims to explore the diverse neurological consequences of SARS-CoV-2 infection, with a particular focus on mildly affected children and adolescents.

methodsA cohort study was conducted to collect pre- and post-infection resting-state electroencephalogram (EEG) data from 185 participants and 181 structured questionnaires of long-term symptoms across four distinct age groups. The goal was to comprehensively evaluate the impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection on these different age demographics. The study analyzed EEG changes of SARS-CoV-2 by potential biomarkers across age groups using both spatial and temporal approaches.

resultsSpatial analysis indicated that children and adolescents exhibit smaller changes in brain network and microstate patterns post-infection, implying a milder cognitive impact. Sequential linear analyses showed that SARS-CoV-2 infection is associated with a marked rise in low-complexity, synchronized neural activity within low-frequency EEG bands. This is evidenced by a significant increase in Hjorth activity within the theta band and Hjorth mobility in the delta band. Sequential nonlinear analysis indicated a significant reduction in the Hurst exponent across all age groups, pointing to increased chaos and complexity within the cognitive system following infection. Furthermore, linear regression analysis based on questionnaires established a significant positive relationship between the magnitude of changes in these neural indicators and the persistence of long-term symptoms post-infection.

conclusionsThe findings underscore the enduring neurological impacts of SARS-CoV-2 infection, marked by cognitive decline and increased EEG disarray. Although children and adolescents experienced milder effects, cognitive decline and heightened low-frequency electrical activity were evident. These observations might contribute to understanding potential anxiety, insomnia, and neurodevelopmental implications.

Indexed as

Cognitive DysfunctionCOVID-19ElectroencephalographySARS-CoV-2AdolescentAdultAgedAge FactorsBrainChildChild, PreschoolCohort StudiesFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedCognitive impactEEGLong COVIDMild illnessSARS-CoV-2

Identifiers

PMID38902696
PMCPMC11188525

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.