Tag: cognitive function

Rochester neuroscience company Cognivue Inc. has begun a nationwide clinical study to assess post-COVID-19 Syndrome.

COG-COVID19 is an open-label, prospective, two-armed comparison clinical study to assess the impact of COVID-19 on cognitive function. Researchers from the University of Southern California, Case Western Reserve University and the University of California Irvine are collaborating on the 24-month, 1,000-person study. Enrollment is underway for the investigation, which will compare the impact of the coronavirus on the cognitive function of 500 participants who have been diagnosed, treated and recovered from COVID-19 versus 500 uninfected participants.

The primary objective is to evaluate the percentage of cognitive decline observed in both study arms using assessments of Cognivue Clarity, the Mini-Mental State Exam (MMSE) and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), officials explained.

“Cognitive impairment is a frequent and persistent issue among patients either recovered or recovering from critical illness such as COVID-19,” said Fred Ma, principal investigator and medical monitor of the study, and chief medical officer and senior vice president at Cognivue. “The direct impact of the pandemic on cognitive function and the indirect effects that result from the increased frequency and severity of psychiatric disorders, including post-COVID-19 syndrome (long haul syndrome), emphasize the need for prospective monitoring and management of cognitive dysfunction. Cognitive function testing should be part of the recovery plan for individuals who experience the direct or indirect whiplash of COVID-19.”

Cognivue Clarity is an FDA-cleared computerized testing tool designed to assess early signs of cognitive impairment. The technology objectively, quantitatively and reliably identifies changes in cognitive function that could indicate an impairment that patients may treat or manage.

The study will have a secondary endpoint to see the correlation of depression and anxiety scales and/or Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) with Cognivue scores while comparing the trend of the difference between both study arms.

Earlier this year, Ma conducted a study titled “COVID-19-Related Stressors and the Role of Cognitive Assessment.” Of the 693 respondents surveyed, 63.5 percent reported anxious symptoms, of which 26.6 percent were new-onset; and 51.7 percent reported depressive symptoms, of which 21.1 percent were new-onset. Overall, 20.8 percent described a worsening of their cognitive health since the pandemic began, with a greater likelihood of such among those who also experience worsening of a health-related issue.

“The prevalence of stressors known to affect cognitive function has increased during the pandemic, underscoring the necessity of proactively establishing routine neurocognitive assessment in clinical practice in order to better mitigate the impending mental health crisis,” Ma said.

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