Although it’s well known that COVID affects the respiratory system, it’s perhaps less well known that the virus can also affect cognitive function.
Many people with COVID experience a phenomenon commonly called “brain fog”, which can include problems remembering, concentrating and performing daily tasks. Brain fog can also be a symptom of long COVID, where people suffer ongoing COVID symptoms for months, or even years, after infection.
In a recent study, we found that COVID negatively impacts working memory function, but only in adults aged 25 and over. Our results suggest that memory function can recover over time after a COVID infection, but people with ongoing symptoms may continue to have difficulty with their working memory.
Working memory, a form of short-term memory, allows us to store and retrieve information while performing tasks such as problem solving, reading or having a conversation. So impaired working memory function can have a significant impact on a person’s daily life.
While previous studies have demonstrated a relationship between COVID and cognitive function, they’ve typically involved lengthy surveys with multiple tasks, and often focused only on those most severely affected by a COVID infection.
We wanted to develop something simpler which would engage as wide an audience as possible and allow us to rapidly assess the impact of COVID on working memory function specifically. So we designed an anonymous online survey and memory quiz with elements of gamification that could be completed quickly via a variety of platforms including smartphones, tablets and PCs.
The survey included questions about participants’ COVID status and any ongoing symptoms, if applicable. They were also asked to rate any cognitive problems they had, for example with their ability to remember things or concentrate on tasks. The quiz was a visual working memory game where participants had to remember and recall pictures of fruits, animals, numbers or objects.
As our survey and memory quiz can be completed quickly, they could potentially also be used as an assessment tool in patients who have limited attention spans or those with other conditions affecting memory, such as dementia.