On delayed verbal learning. Descriptive study in post-intensive care syndrome patients after COVID-19 infection in a functional rehabilitation unit in Spain. A pilot study

Abstract

Introduction Post-Intensive Care Syndrome (PICS) is a physical, cognitive, emotional and functional condition resulting from prolonged stays in ICU (Intensive Care Unit). In pathologies with clinical characteristics similar to SARS-CoV-2 pneumonia, most patients showed cognitive deficits after discharge from ICU. In particular, earlier studies describe impairment on verbal learning among PICS patients. Objectives To analyse the delayed verbal-learning performance in patients with PICS after COVID-19 infection in a Functional Rehabilitation Unit in Madrid (Spain) using the Spanish version of the Screen for Cognitive Impairment in Psychiatry (SCIP-S). Methods This study was conducted in the Hospital Central de la Cruz Roja, in Madrid (Spain). A sample of 17 PICS adult patients was included, with age ranging from 56 to 74 years old (mean = 68.35 years; 13 males). Patients were assessed around three weeks after referral from their reference hospital. The Verbal Learning Test-Delayed (VLT-D) of the SCIP-S was used as outcome. Descriptive analyses were conducted (mean and standard deviation) on standardized scores (z) based on age-adjusted general population norms. Significant impairment was set at z < -1.5. Results Mean z-score on VLT-D was -1.02 (S.D. = .96) from the total sample, with 41.2% of cases with significant impairment (mean = -1.97; S.D. = .23). Conclusions These preliminary results show the probable presence of mild-moderate impairment on delayed verbal learning in a relevant proportion of patients, which was already observed in PICS patients with other medical conditions. Longitudinal studies, with larger samples, are needed where the premorbid cognitive level is considered. Disclosure No significant relationships.

Keywords

• Delayed verbal learning
• Post-Intensive Care Syndrome
• Clinical Neuropsychology
• COVID-19