TL;Dr.: In a study published in The Lancet, Corbett and colleagues conducted a longitudinal analysis of study data from PROTECT to assess the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on cognition in 3,142 older adults (mean age, 67.5; 54% female) in the United Kingdom. Pre-pandemic cognition was compared to cognition during the first and second years of the pandemic. Findings showed significant worsening in executive function and working memory across the whole cohort during the first year of the pandemic, and worsening working memory was sustained during the second year. Subgroups with mild cognitive impairment and a history of COVID-19 saw significant worsening in executive function and working memory during the first year. Cognitive decline was linked to reduced exercise and increased alcohol use across the whole cohort; to depression in individuals with a history of COVID-19; and to loneliness to those with mild cognitive impairment. The sustained cognitive decline underscores the need for public health interventions to mitigate dementia risk, particularly for those with mild cognitive impairment and with a history of COVID-19.
OpenEvidence Analysis