The Effect of Neurorehabilitation of the Cognitive Symptoms of Long COVID Evaluated with Neuropsi Atención y Memoria-III and BANFE-III.

Background: The long-haul symptoms of COVID-19 have not been properly attended, especially those of the central nervous system. Attention, memory and executive functioning are the three main cognitive symptoms reported for long COVID patients. To this day, neurorehabilitation therapy to alleviate these symptoms has not been proposed. Objectives: The current study aims to evaluate the effect of a neurorehabilitation intervention on the three most prevalent symptoms reported for long COVID in Mexican patients: memory, attention and executive functioning. Methods: Subjects were recruited at Instituto Nacional de Rehabilitación Luis Guillermo Ibarra Ibarra and underwent a novel neurorehabilitation intervention for 6 months. Baseline measurements were taken using validated instruments (Neuropsi, BANFE and CCQ) before the intervention and after it. Results: A significant decrease in the normalized score of the Memory component of the Neuropsi Atención y Memoria III test was found after the intervention, along with a decrease in two components of the BANFE-III test. Conclusions: In the current study, a successful neuropsychology intervention for the main cognitive symptoms of long COVID in a Mexican population reduced subjective self-perceived complaints and objectively measured cognitive symptoms.