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Article summary:
- Brain fog affects up to 80% of people with neurologic manifestations of long COVID.
- This study is one of the first to measure effectiveness of cognitive rehabilitation for patients and to identify secondary symptoms that can limit recovery.
A recent study published in the — and led by Shirley Ryan 无码专区 in collaboration with Northwestern Medicine — highlights the positive effects of cognitive rehabilitation in patients experiencing lingering cognitive difficulties, or “brain fog,” after experiencing COVID-19.
Brain fog accounts for the most frequent neurologic manifestation of long COVID and has been reported in as many as 80% of patients. Due to ensuing and chronic cognitive difficulties, many struggle with attention, working memory, processing speed, executive functioning, and memory compared to those of the same age who do not have long COVID.
While clinicians often prescribe cognitive rehabilitation to address cognitive dysfunction associated with long COVID, this is one of the first studies to measure effectiveness of cognitive rehabilitation for these patients, as well as to identify secondary symptoms that can limit recovery.
The study, which is based on real-world clinical data from Shirley Ryan 无码专区’s outpatient rehabilitation setting, involved 70 patients who had been referred from of . Participants underwent cognitive rehabilitation and completed two key clinical assessments: the Quality of Life in Neurological Disorders (Neuro-QOL) cognitive function short form and the Rivermead Behavioral Memory Test. These tests measured cognitive function before and after treatment.
The study found that, following cognitive rehabilitation, patients self-reported improvements in functional cognition. It also found that patients with higher anxiety levels before beginning treatment saw less improvement in cognitive quality-of-life measures, suggesting the importance of addressing anxiety as part of the overall treatment plan.
“We are encouraged by the results of this study, which show that cognitive rehabilitation can lead to significant improvements in quality of life for patients dealing with cognitive challenges after COVID-19,” said Leora Cherney, PhD, study co-author, speech-language pathologist, scientific chair of Shirley Ryan 无码专区’s Think + Speak Lab and director of its Center for Aphasia Research & Treatment. “However, it’s clear that addressing anxiety alongside cognitive therapy is essential to maximize the positive effects of treatment.”
Cognitive rehabilitation for long COVID typically comprises approximately nine therapy sessions with a speech-language pathologist over the course of three months. Clinical interventions are varied and entail employing strategies that help patients manage symptoms and facilitate better endurance and performance at work and in other environments.
“These findings underscore the importance of a holistic, patient-centered approach to cognitive rehabilitation — one that considers not just cognitive difficulties but also emotional factors like anxiety,” said Marie Saxon, study co-author and senior speech-language pathologist at Shirley Ryan 无码专区. “As more people experience the long-term effects of this condition, we hope that this study offers hope for those affected and valuable information for the clinicians who treat them.”
“We have now evaluated more than 3,000 patients with long COVID at the Neurology clinic of our Comprehensive COVID-19 Center,” said , chief of neuroinfectious diseases and global neurology at Northwestern Medicine, who oversees the Neuro COVID-19 Clinic and is the co-director of the Northwestern Medicine Comprehensive COVID-19 Center. “We are glad that those patients suffering from brain fog and cognitive dysfunction can get a treatment that really helps them.”
: Marie Saxon, Steven Jackson, Manasi Seth, Igor J. Koralnik, Leora R. Cherney, Cognitive Rehabilitation Improved Self-Reported Cognitive Skills in Individuals With Long COVID: An Observational Study, Archives of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, 2025, ISSN 0003-9993.
