Cognitive and vascular (dys)function after COVID-19.

Aleksandra Đ Ilić, Vladimir Galić, Vojislava Bugarski Ignjatović, Željka Nikolašević, Dmitar Vlahović, Goran Knezović, Jasmina Boban, Duško Kozić, Željko Živanović

Abstract read

PubMed Publisher

In one paragraph

Article in Journal of neurovirology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it

0cells of the map it votes in

0citing 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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

9 authors.

Aleksandra Đ IlićMedical Faculty Novi Sad, University of Novi Sad, Hajduk Veljkova Street 1-9, Novi Sad, 21000, Serbia. aleksandra.dj.ilic@mf.uns.ac.rs.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1900-3733

Vladimir GalićMedical Faculty Novi Sad, University of Novi Sad, Hajduk Veljkova Street 1-9, Novi Sad, 21000, Serbia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3961-1792

Vojislava Bugarski IgnjatovićMedical Faculty Novi Sad, University of Novi Sad, Hajduk Veljkova Street 1-9, Novi Sad, 21000, Serbia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9742-6512

Željka NikolaševićMedical Faculty Novi Sad, University of Novi Sad, Hajduk Veljkova Street 1-9, Novi Sad, 21000, Serbia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0229-1887

Dmitar VlahovićMedical Faculty Novi Sad, University of Novi Sad, Hajduk Veljkova Street 1-9, Novi Sad, 21000, Serbia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0198-0111

Goran KnezovićMedical Faculty Novi Sad, University of Novi Sad, Hajduk Veljkova Street 1-9, Novi Sad, 21000, Serbia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-3454-8192

Jasmina BobanMedical Faculty Novi Sad, University of Novi Sad, Hajduk Veljkova Street 1-9, Novi Sad, 21000, Serbia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9701-5484

Duško KozićMedical Faculty Novi Sad, University of Novi Sad, Hajduk Veljkova Street 1-9, Novi Sad, 21000, Serbia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6007-7072

Željko ŽivanovićMedical Faculty Novi Sad, University of Novi Sad, Hajduk Veljkova Street 1-9, Novi Sad, 21000, Serbia.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5414-8623

Funding

Provincial Secretariat for Higher Education and Scientific Research, Autonomous Province of Vojvodina 142-451-3523/2023-01

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

COVID-19 is a systemic infection that causes endothelial dysfunction, contributing to severe cases. While vascular complications are well-documented, their impact on vascular structure, function, and cognition remains unclear. This cross-sectional study explored vascular and cognitive differences across patients with mild, moderate, and severe COVID-19, examining correlations between global cognitive performance and vascular parameters. This study included 83 working-age patients (30-65 years, both sexes) who recovered from COVID-19 within 6-12 months. They were grouped by severity: mild (outpatients, no oxygen support), moderate (hospitalized, conventional oxygen therapy), and severe (hospitalized, advanced oxygen therapy). Exclusions included pre-existing cognitive or neurological conditions, significant atherosclerosis, malignancies, and prior COVID-19 vaccination. Global cognitive function was assessed using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) test, while vascular parameters - carotid intima-media thickness (IMT), beta stiffness index (β index), mean flow velocity (MVs), maximum velocity after breath-holding (MV-BH), and breath-holding index (BHI) - were evaluated using duplex ultrasound and transcranial Doppler. Patients with severe COVID-19 had the highest carotid stiffness and poorest cerebrovascular reactivity. While MoCA scores showed no significant group differences, 23-40% had mild cognitive impairment. MoCA scores negatively correlated with β index in mild group (ρ=--0.453; p = 0.034), while MVs positively correlated with MoCA in severe cases (ρ = 0.414; p = 0.028). The association between arterial stiffness and cognitive impairment in mild cases, suggests lasting effects of SARS-CoV-2 rather than pre-existing conditions. These findings highlight carotid stiffness as a key factor in post-COVID-19 cognitive impairment, emphasizing early risk identification for timely intervention.

Indexed as

Cognitive DysfunctionCOVID-19AdultAgedCarotid Intima-Media ThicknessCognitionCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedSARS-CoV-2Severity of Illness IndexUltrasonography, Doppler, TranscranialVascular StiffnessBreath holding indexCarotid stiffnessCerebrovascular reactivityCognitionSARS-CoV-2Β index

Identifiers

PMID40952641

DOI10.2147/JMDH.S432969

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata

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.