Cognition and Mental Health in Pediatric Patients Following COVID-19

Hadar Avittan (Corresponding Author), Dmitrijs Kustovs

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

11 Citations (Scopus)
13 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

The global coronavirus pandemic has significantly impacted public health and has been a research subject since its emergence in 2019. The acute phase of the disease leads to pulmonary and non-pulmonary manifestations, which in some individuals may progress to long-lasting symptoms. In this article, we conducted a narrative review of the current literature to summarize current knowledge regarding long COVID syndrome in children, focusing on cognitive symptoms. The review included a search of three databases (PubMed, Embase, and Web of Science) using the key phrases “post COVID-19 cognitive pediatric”, “long COVID pediatric”, “mental health long COVID children”, and “COVID-19 cognitive symptoms”. A total of 102 studies were included. The review revealed that the main long-term cognitive symptoms following COVID-19 were memory and concentration deficits, sleep disturbances, and psychiatric states such as anxiety and stress. In addition to the direct physiological effects of a viral infection, there are psychological, behavioral, and social factors contributing to cognitive impairment, which should be addressed regarding the pediatric population. The high prevalence of neurocognitive symptoms in children following COVID-19 emphasizes the importance of understanding the mechanisms of nervous system involvement.

Original languageEnglish
Article number5061
JournalInternational journal of environmental research and public health
Volume20
Issue number6
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Mar 2023

Keywords*

  • children
  • cognitive symptoms
  • delirium
  • insomnia
  • long COVID
  • mental health

Field of Science*

  • 3.1 Basic medicine
  • 3.3 Health sciences

Publication Type*

  • 1.1. Scientific article indexed in Web of Science and/or Scopus database

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