Evidence mapPaperPMID 38416429Full record

ArticleThe New England journal of medicine2024

Cognition and Memory after Covid-19 in a Large Community Sample.

Adam Hampshire, Adriana Azor, Christina Atchison, William Trender, Peter J Hellyer, Valentina Giunchiglia, Masud Husain, Graham S Cooke, Emily Cooper, Adam Lound and 4 more

Open access · bronzeAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in The New England journal of medicine, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 147 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
147citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
80.8field-weighted citation impact, top 1% of its field
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

147 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 219 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Resistance training and subcortical vascular cognitive impairment: A 12-month randomized trial.Alzheimer's & dementia : the journal of the Alzheimer's Association · 2026
    Trial
  3. Trial
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  5. A digital intervention for cognitive deficits following COVID-19: a randomized clinical trial.Neuropsychopharmacology : official publication of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology · 2024
    Trial
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  10. Observational
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  20. Episodic memory deficits and processes in post-COVID condition.European archives of psychiatry and clinical neuroscience · 2026
    Article

87 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

14 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Adam HampshireFrom the Department of Brain Sciences (A.H., A.A., W.T., V.G.), MRC Centre for Environment and Health (M.C.-H., P.E.), School of Public Health (C.A., E.C., A.L., C.A.D., M.C.-H., H.W., P.E.), and the Department of Infectious Disease (G.S.C.), Imperial College London, the National Institute for Health Research Imperial Biomedical Research Centre (C.A., G.S.C., E.C., A.L., H.W., P.E.), the Centre for Neuroimaging Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King's College London (P.J.H.), Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust (G.S.C., H.W., P.E.), Health Data Research U.K. London at Imperial (P.E.), and U.K. Dementia Research Institute at Imperial (P.E.), London, and the Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences (M.H.), the Departments of Experimental Psychology (M.H.) and Statistics (C.A.D.), and the Pandemic Sciences Institute (C.A.D.), University of Oxford, Oxford - all in the United Kingdom.
Adriana AzorFrom the Department of Brain Sciences (A.H., A.A., W.T., V.G.), MRC Centre for Environment and Health (M.C.-H., P.E.), School of Public Health (C.A., E.C., A.L., C.A.D., M.C.-H., H.W., P.E.), and the Department of Infectious Disease (G.S.C.), Imperial College London, the National Institute for Health Research Imperial Biomedical Research Centre (C.A., G.S.C., E.C., A.L., H.W., P.E.), the Centre for Neuroimaging Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King's College London (P.J.H.), Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust (G.S.C., H.W., P.E.), Health Data Research U.K. London at Imperial (P.E.), and U.K. Dementia Research Institute at Imperial (P.E.), London, and the Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences (M.H.), the Departments of Experimental Psychology (M.H.) and Statistics (C.A.D.), and the Pandemic Sciences Institute (C.A.D.), University of Oxford, Oxford - all in the United Kingdom.
Christina AtchisonFrom the Department of Brain Sciences (A.H., A.A., W.T., V.G.), MRC Centre for Environment and Health (M.C.-H., P.E.), School of Public Health (C.A., E.C., A.L., C.A.D., M.C.-H., H.W., P.E.), and the Department of Infectious Disease (G.S.C.), Imperial College London, the National Institute for Health Research Imperial Biomedical Research Centre (C.A., G.S.C., E.C., A.L., H.W., P.E.), the Centre for Neuroimaging Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King's College London (P.J.H.), Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust (G.S.C., H.W., P.E.), Health Data Research U.K. London at Imperial (P.E.), and U.K. Dementia Research Institute at Imperial (P.E.), London, and the Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences (M.H.), the Departments of Experimental Psychology (M.H.) and Statistics (C.A.D.), and the Pandemic Sciences Institute (C.A.D.), University of Oxford, Oxford - all in the United Kingdom.
William TrenderFrom the Department of Brain Sciences (A.H., A.A., W.T., V.G.), MRC Centre for Environment and Health (M.C.-H., P.E.), School of Public Health (C.A., E.C., A.L., C.A.D., M.C.-H., H.W., P.E.), and the Department of Infectious Disease (G.S.C.), Imperial College London, the National Institute for Health Research Imperial Biomedical Research Centre (C.A., G.S.C., E.C., A.L., H.W., P.E.), the Centre for Neuroimaging Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King's College London (P.J.H.), Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust (G.S.C., H.W., P.E.), Health Data Research U.K. London at Imperial (P.E.), and U.K. Dementia Research Institute at Imperial (P.E.), London, and the Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences (M.H.), the Departments of Experimental Psychology (M.H.) and Statistics (C.A.D.), and the Pandemic Sciences Institute (C.A.D.), University of Oxford, Oxford - all in the United Kingdom.
Peter J HellyerFrom the Department of Brain Sciences (A.H., A.A., W.T., V.G.), MRC Centre for Environment and Health (M.C.-H., P.E.), School of Public Health (C.A., E.C., A.L., C.A.D., M.C.-H., H.W., P.E.), and the Department of Infectious Disease (G.S.C.), Imperial College London, the National Institute for Health Research Imperial Biomedical Research Centre (C.A., G.S.C., E.C., A.L., H.W., P.E.), the Centre for Neuroimaging Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King's College London (P.J.H.), Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust (G.S.C., H.W., P.E.), Health Data Research U.K. London at Imperial (P.E.), and U.K. Dementia Research Institute at Imperial (P.E.), London, and the Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences (M.H.), the Departments of Experimental Psychology (M.H.) and Statistics (C.A.D.), and the Pandemic Sciences Institute (C.A.D.), University of Oxford, Oxford - all in the United Kingdom.
Valentina GiunchigliaFrom the Department of Brain Sciences (A.H., A.A., W.T., V.G.), MRC Centre for Environment and Health (M.C.-H., P.E.), School of Public Health (C.A., E.C., A.L., C.A.D., M.C.-H., H.W., P.E.), and the Department of Infectious Disease (G.S.C.), Imperial College London, the National Institute for Health Research Imperial Biomedical Research Centre (C.A., G.S.C., E.C., A.L., H.W., P.E.), the Centre for Neuroimaging Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King's College London (P.J.H.), Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust (G.S.C., H.W., P.E.), Health Data Research U.K. London at Imperial (P.E.), and U.K. Dementia Research Institute at Imperial (P.E.), London, and the Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences (M.H.), the Departments of Experimental Psychology (M.H.) and Statistics (C.A.D.), and the Pandemic Sciences Institute (C.A.D.), University of Oxford, Oxford - all in the United Kingdom.
Masud HusainFrom the Department of Brain Sciences (A.H., A.A., W.T., V.G.), MRC Centre for Environment and Health (M.C.-H., P.E.), School of Public Health (C.A., E.C., A.L., C.A.D., M.C.-H., H.W., P.E.), and the Department of Infectious Disease (G.S.C.), Imperial College London, the National Institute for Health Research Imperial Biomedical Research Centre (C.A., G.S.C., E.C., A.L., H.W., P.E.), the Centre for Neuroimaging Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King's College London (P.J.H.), Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust (G.S.C., H.W., P.E.), Health Data Research U.K. London at Imperial (P.E.), and U.K. Dementia Research Institute at Imperial (P.E.), London, and the Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences (M.H.), the Departments of Experimental Psychology (M.H.) and Statistics (C.A.D.), and the Pandemic Sciences Institute (C.A.D.), University of Oxford, Oxford - all in the United Kingdom.
Graham S CookeFrom the Department of Brain Sciences (A.H., A.A., W.T., V.G.), MRC Centre for Environment and Health (M.C.-H., P.E.), School of Public Health (C.A., E.C., A.L., C.A.D., M.C.-H., H.W., P.E.), and the Department of Infectious Disease (G.S.C.), Imperial College London, the National Institute for Health Research Imperial Biomedical Research Centre (C.A., G.S.C., E.C., A.L., H.W., P.E.), the Centre for Neuroimaging Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King's College London (P.J.H.), Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust (G.S.C., H.W., P.E.), Health Data Research U.K. London at Imperial (P.E.), and U.K. Dementia Research Institute at Imperial (P.E.), London, and the Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences (M.H.), the Departments of Experimental Psychology (M.H.) and Statistics (C.A.D.), and the Pandemic Sciences Institute (C.A.D.), University of Oxford, Oxford - all in the United Kingdom.
Emily CooperFrom the Department of Brain Sciences (A.H., A.A., W.T., V.G.), MRC Centre for Environment and Health (M.C.-H., P.E.), School of Public Health (C.A., E.C., A.L., C.A.D., M.C.-H., H.W., P.E.), and the Department of Infectious Disease (G.S.C.), Imperial College London, the National Institute for Health Research Imperial Biomedical Research Centre (C.A., G.S.C., E.C., A.L., H.W., P.E.), the Centre for Neuroimaging Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King's College London (P.J.H.), Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust (G.S.C., H.W., P.E.), Health Data Research U.K. London at Imperial (P.E.), and U.K. Dementia Research Institute at Imperial (P.E.), London, and the Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences (M.H.), the Departments of Experimental Psychology (M.H.) and Statistics (C.A.D.), and the Pandemic Sciences Institute (C.A.D.), University of Oxford, Oxford - all in the United Kingdom.
Adam LoundFrom the Department of Brain Sciences (A.H., A.A., W.T., V.G.), MRC Centre for Environment and Health (M.C.-H., P.E.), School of Public Health (C.A., E.C., A.L., C.A.D., M.C.-H., H.W., P.E.), and the Department of Infectious Disease (G.S.C.), Imperial College London, the National Institute for Health Research Imperial Biomedical Research Centre (C.A., G.S.C., E.C., A.L., H.W., P.E.), the Centre for Neuroimaging Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King's College London (P.J.H.), Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust (G.S.C., H.W., P.E.), Health Data Research U.K. London at Imperial (P.E.), and U.K. Dementia Research Institute at Imperial (P.E.), London, and the Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences (M.H.), the Departments of Experimental Psychology (M.H.) and Statistics (C.A.D.), and the Pandemic Sciences Institute (C.A.D.), University of Oxford, Oxford - all in the United Kingdom.
Christl A DonnellyFrom the Department of Brain Sciences (A.H., A.A., W.T., V.G.), MRC Centre for Environment and Health (M.C.-H., P.E.), School of Public Health (C.A., E.C., A.L., C.A.D., M.C.-H., H.W., P.E.), and the Department of Infectious Disease (G.S.C.), Imperial College London, the National Institute for Health Research Imperial Biomedical Research Centre (C.A., G.S.C., E.C., A.L., H.W., P.E.), the Centre for Neuroimaging Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King's College London (P.J.H.), Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust (G.S.C., H.W., P.E.), Health Data Research U.K. London at Imperial (P.E.), and U.K. Dementia Research Institute at Imperial (P.E.), London, and the Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences (M.H.), the Departments of Experimental Psychology (M.H.) and Statistics (C.A.D.), and the Pandemic Sciences Institute (C.A.D.), University of Oxford, Oxford - all in the United Kingdom.
Marc Chadeau-HyamFrom the Department of Brain Sciences (A.H., A.A., W.T., V.G.), MRC Centre for Environment and Health (M.C.-H., P.E.), School of Public Health (C.A., E.C., A.L., C.A.D., M.C.-H., H.W., P.E.), and the Department of Infectious Disease (G.S.C.), Imperial College London, the National Institute for Health Research Imperial Biomedical Research Centre (C.A., G.S.C., E.C., A.L., H.W., P.E.), the Centre for Neuroimaging Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King's College London (P.J.H.), Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust (G.S.C., H.W., P.E.), Health Data Research U.K. London at Imperial (P.E.), and U.K. Dementia Research Institute at Imperial (P.E.), London, and the Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences (M.H.), the Departments of Experimental Psychology (M.H.) and Statistics (C.A.D.), and the Pandemic Sciences Institute (C.A.D.), University of Oxford, Oxford - all in the United Kingdom.ORCID 0000-0001-8341-5436
Helen WardFrom the Department of Brain Sciences (A.H., A.A., W.T., V.G.), MRC Centre for Environment and Health (M.C.-H., P.E.), School of Public Health (C.A., E.C., A.L., C.A.D., M.C.-H., H.W., P.E.), and the Department of Infectious Disease (G.S.C.), Imperial College London, the National Institute for Health Research Imperial Biomedical Research Centre (C.A., G.S.C., E.C., A.L., H.W., P.E.), the Centre for Neuroimaging Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King's College London (P.J.H.), Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust (G.S.C., H.W., P.E.), Health Data Research U.K. London at Imperial (P.E.), and U.K. Dementia Research Institute at Imperial (P.E.), London, and the Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences (M.H.), the Departments of Experimental Psychology (M.H.) and Statistics (C.A.D.), and the Pandemic Sciences Institute (C.A.D.), University of Oxford, Oxford - all in the United Kingdom.
Paul ElliottFrom the Department of Brain Sciences (A.H., A.A., W.T., V.G.), MRC Centre for Environment and Health (M.C.-H., P.E.), School of Public Health (C.A., E.C., A.L., C.A.D., M.C.-H., H.W., P.E.), and the Department of Infectious Disease (G.S.C.), Imperial College London, the National Institute for Health Research Imperial Biomedical Research Centre (C.A., G.S.C., E.C., A.L., H.W., P.E.), the Centre for Neuroimaging Sciences, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology, and Neuroscience, King's College London (P.J.H.), Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust (G.S.C., H.W., P.E.), Health Data Research U.K. London at Imperial (P.E.), and U.K. Dementia Research Institute at Imperial (P.E.), London, and the Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences (M.H.), the Departments of Experimental Psychology (M.H.) and Statistics (C.A.D.), and the Pandemic Sciences Institute (C.A.D.), University of Oxford, Oxford - all in the United Kingdom.
Anna Needs Neuroblastoma Answers · US

Funding

Medical Research Council MR/R015600/1Medical Research Council MR/S019669/1Medical Research Council MR/V030841/1
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundCognitive symptoms after coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19), the disease caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), are well-recognized. Whether objectively measurable cognitive deficits exist and how long they persist are unclear.

methodsWe invited 800,000 adults in a study in England to complete an online assessment of cognitive function. We estimated a global cognitive score across eight tasks. We hypothesized that participants with persistent symptoms (lasting ≥12 weeks) after infection onset would have objectively measurable global cognitive deficits and that impairments in executive functioning and memory would be observed in such participants, especially in those who reported recent poor memory or difficulty thinking or concentrating ("brain fog").

resultsOf the 141,583 participants who started the online cognitive assessment, 112,964 completed it. In a multiple regression analysis, participants who had recovered from Covid-19 in whom symptoms had resolved in less than 4 weeks or at least 12 weeks had similar small deficits in global cognition as compared with those in the no-Covid-19 group, who had not been infected with SARS-CoV-2 or had unconfirmed infection (-0.23 SD [95% confidence interval {CI}, -0.33 to -0.13] and -0.24 SD [95% CI, -0.36 to -0.12], respectively); larger deficits as compared with the no-Covid-19 group were seen in participants with unresolved persistent symptoms (-0.42 SD; 95% CI, -0.53 to -0.31). Larger deficits were seen in participants who had SARS-CoV-2 infection during periods in which the original virus or the B.1.1.7 variant was predominant than in those infected with later variants (e.g., -0.17 SD for the B.1.1.7 variant vs. the B.1.1.529 variant; 95% CI, -0.20 to -0.13) and in participants who had been hospitalized than in those who had not been hospitalized (e.g., intensive care unit admission, -0.35 SD; 95% CI, -0.49 to -0.20). Results of the analyses were similar to those of propensity-score-matching analyses. In a comparison of the group that had unresolved persistent symptoms with the no-Covid-19 group, memory, reasoning, and executive function tasks were associated with the largest deficits (-0.33 to -0.20 SD); these tasks correlated weakly with recent symptoms, including poor memory and brain fog. No adverse events were reported.

conclusionsParticipants with resolved persistent symptoms after Covid-19 had objectively measured cognitive function similar to that in participants with shorter-duration symptoms, although short-duration Covid-19 was still associated with small cognitive deficits after recovery. Longer-term persistence of cognitive deficits and any clinical implications remain uncertain. (Funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research and others.).

Indexed as

Cognitive DysfunctionCOVID-19Memory DisordersAdultCognitionEnglandHumansMemoryPost-Acute COVID-19 SyndromeSARS-CoV-2

Identifiers

PMID38416429
PMCPMC7615803
OpenAlexW4392243692

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-ND
Read underepoch 390

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 Socratic graph.