Neuropsychiatric Consequences of COVID-19: A Literature Review

Objective: This review presents recent studies illustrating neurological and psychiatric effects seen in COVID-19 patients. Introduction: COVID-19 has been associated with diverse acute neurological manifestations in patients1. However, longer-term mental health and psychiatric sequelae are less clear. Monitoring the neuropsychiatric consequences of COVID-19, along with their risk factors and mechanisms, can provide valuable information to prepare patients and health providers for inevitable long-term sequelae of COVID-19. Methods: A PubMed search was completed with the following criteria present in the title and/or abstract: ((COVID-19 AND patients) AND (psychiatric)) OR ((COVID-19 AND patients) AND (neuropsychiatric)). This yielded 118 results in English for which the full-text was available. Studies presented in this review were chosen with the following inclusion criteria: observational studies of neuropsychiatric effects in COVID-19 patients published from January 2020 to August 20, 2020. 10 studies investigating clinical signs of neuropsychiatric sequelae in COVID-19 patients and meeting inclusion criteria were identified. Results: This review identified 10 studies, meeting inclusion criteria, that investigated neuropsychiatric manifestations of COVID-19. The diverse symptoms found in these studies fell into various overlapping categories with implications for longer-term neuropsychiatric follow-up: neurological, involving the CNS, PNS, and musculoskeletal system; psychiatric, including post-traumatic stress, depression, anxiety, and psychosis; and increased inflammatory markers. Conclusion: Neuropsychiatric effects associated with COVID-19 are common and potentially severe. Additional studies are necessary to further characterize the role of SARS-CoV-2 in potential long-term neuropsychiatric sequelae. Understanding the risk factors and mechanisms behind these manifestations can help identify targets for early intervention and ensure that patients receive optimal care. References: 1. Rogers, J. P., Chesney, E., Oliver, D., Pollak, T. A., McGuire, P., Fusar-Poli, P., Zandi, M. S., Lewis, G., & David, A. S. (2020). Psychiatric and neuropsychiatric presentations associated with severe coronavirus infections: a systematic review and meta-analysis with comparison to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Lancet. Psychiatry, 7(7), 611–627