Acute blood biomarker profiles predict cognitive deficits 6 and 12 months after COVID-19 hospitalization

Taquet, M. et al. (2023) Acute blood biomarker profiles predict cognitive deficits 6 and 12 months after COVID-19 hospitalization. Nature Medicine, (doi: 10.1038/s41591-023-02525-y) (PMID:37653345) (Early Online Publication)

Abstract

Post-COVID cognitive deficits, including ‘brain fog’, are clinically complex, with both objective and subjective components. They are common and debilitating, and can affect the ability to work, yet their biological underpinnings remain unknown. In this prospective cohort study of 1,837 adults hospitalized with COVID-19, we identified two distinct biomarker profiles measured during the acute admission, which predict cognitive outcomes 6 and 12 months after COVID-19. A first profile links elevated fibrinogen relative to C-reactive protein with both objective and subjective cognitive deficits. A second profile links elevated D-dimer relative to C-reactive protein with subjective cognitive deficits and occupational impact. This second profile was mediated by fatigue and shortness of breath. Neither profile was significantly mediated by depression or anxiety. Results were robust across secondary analyses. They were replicated, and their specificity to COVID-19 tested, in a large-scale electronic health records dataset. These findings provide insights into the heterogeneous biology of post-COVID cognitive deficits.

• Item Type: Articles
• Additional Information: This work was funded by MQ Mental Health Research, the Wolfson Foundation, UK Research and Innovation (grant MR/V027859/1), National Institute of Health Research (grant COV0319) and the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Oxford Health Biomedical Research Centre (grants BRC-1215-20005 and NIHR203316). M.T. is an NIHR Academic Clinical Fellow and NIHR Oxford Health BRC Senior Research Fellow.
• Status: Early Online Publication
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Scott, Dr Janet and Sattar, Professor Naveed
• Authors: Taquet, M., Skorniewska, Z., Hampshire, A., Chalmers, J. D., Ho, L.-P., Horsley, A., Marks, M., Poinasamy, K., Raman, B., Leavy, O. C., Richardson, M., Elneima, O., McAuley, H. J. C., Shikotra, A., Singapuri, A., Sereno, M., Saunders, R. M., Harris, V. C., Houchen-Wolloff, L., Greening, N. J., Mansoori, P., Harrison, E. M., Docherty, A. B., Lone, N. I., Quint, J., Sattar, N., Brightling, C. E., Wain, L. V., Evans, R. E., Geddes, J. R., Harrison, P. J., and PHOSP-COVID Study Collaborative Group,
• College/School: College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Infection & Immunity; College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Cardiovascular & Metabolic Health
• Journal Name: Nature Medicine
• Publisher: Nature Research
• ISSN: 1078-8956
• ISSN (Online): 1546-170X
• Published Online: 31 August 2023
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2023 The Author(s)
• First Published: First published in Nature Medicine 2023
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a Creative Commons license