POST-COVID-19 SYNDROME AND THE MANIFESTATION OF NEUROCOGNITIVE AND NEUROPSYCHIATRIC SEQUELAE

Abstract

SARS-CoV-2, the virus responsible for COVID-19, is a betacoronavirus that caused a global pandemic with a major impact on public health. Post-COVID-19 Syndrome (PCS), also known as chronic or long COVID, is characterized by the persistence of symptoms for more than four weeks after the acute infection. PCS presents with several manifestations, including persistent fatigue, headache, myalgia, arthralgia, dyspnea, hair loss, anosmia, and neuropsychiatric disorders. Neuropsychiatric sequelae are highly prevalent in PCS, with emphasis on sleep disorders, depression, and anxiety, as well as “brain fog” and impairment of memory and concentration. The causes of post-COVID sequelae are multifactorial and involve cytokine release, systemic inflammation, and possible viral invasion of the nervous system. This study consists of an integrative literature review with an electronic search in the PubMed database, aiming to gather information and data established by the scientific community regarding the pathogenesis and development of neuropsychiatric sequelae. Inclusion criteria comprise clinical trials, meta-analyses, randomized controlled clinical trials, and systematic reviews, published between 2021 and 2024, written in English, Portuguese, or Spanish, and available in full text with free access. Exclusion criteria include studies that do not fit the inclusion categories or are not written in English, Portuguese, or Spanish.