Neurologists named the causes of memory and attention problems after COVID-19 :: Society :: RBC

The number of complaints about memory, orientation over time and space problems after suffering from COVID-19 is on the rise, doctors interviewed by RBC said. They associate it with the effect of infection on internal organs and psychosomatics.

Фото: Eduardo Munoz Alvarez / AP

Patients in Russia began to complain more often of memory impairment, concentration of attention after suffering from coronavirus. This was reported by neurologists and experts interviewed by RBC.

The growth in the number of such appeals began in the fall, surgeon and rehabilitation therapist Konstantin Lyadov told RBC. “We see the growth of such requests. If at first, when these patients first appeared, in April-May, we did not see patients with these disorders, now there are complaints of weakness and decreased concentration of attention, “he said. Lyadov stressed that not all coronavirus patients face such complaints, but they exist nonetheless.

“The number of complaints about these symptoms is increasing,” Alexander Komarov, neurologist and chief physician of the Doverie rehabilitation center, told RBC.

“I myself had a mild illness, like some of my friends, due to neurological consequences – severe neuromyalgia, back pain
the outer surface of the legs, from the buttocks to the lower leg, which cannot be removed. Also, this is a common symptom, my colleagues who have recovered have it,
in patients. As for problems with orientation in time and space, as well as impaired cognitive functions in general, this is a common occurrence, unfortunately, “said Evgeny Seredkin, head of the neurology department at Central Clinical Hospital No. 1 of the Russian Railways.

There may be several reasons for such consequences to occur, doctors said. “First, it has to do with the psychosomatic components, with stress and fear. This causes pressure, increases the risk of vascular problems, and can lead to decompensation of chronic ischemia or acute presence. The second point is the neurotoxic effect of the coronavirus infection, “Alexander Komarov told RBC.