Monitoring and modelling post COVID neurocognitive symptom trajectories, determinants and long-term impact on life and work

Project leader: Prof. Dr. Mandy Roheger

Research fields

• Basic and translational research on post COVID
• Interdisciplinary research on pandemic long-term impacts on living and working conditions

Who is involved?

• Prof. Dr. Mandy Roheger (Project leader, UOL)
• Prof. Dr. Antje Wulff (UOL)
• Prof. Dr. Andrea Hildebrandt (UOL)
• Prof. Dr. Gundula Zoch (UOL)
• Prof. Dr. Karin Weissenborn (MHH)
• Dr. Meike Dirks (MHH)
• Dr. Ann-Katrin Hennemann (MHH)

What is the aim?

Three of the most common long-term symptoms of COVID-19 are fatigue, attention problems, and deficits in memory. These post COVID-19 consequences are the greatest barriers to social participation. It is therefore crucial to understand the pathomechanisms underlying neurocognitive loss, its trajectory, and the ways in which the social context might or might not help to ameliorate negative outcomes. Numerous studies investigated self-reports of neurocognitive symptoms, but only few have objectivized their measurement using comprehensive, standardized neurocognitive test batteries. We do not know much about the longer-term development and possible fluctuation of these symptoms, and the factors that might ameliorate or aggravate them. Furthermore, a more ecologically valid phenotyping along with contextual factors is needed for a pathomechanistic and individualized understanding of neurocognitive post COVID-19 symptoms to inform future interventions. We aim to 1) study the course of neurocognitive symptoms after COVID-19 and 2) train prognostic models to understand how demographic, immunological and neural markers contribute to the progression or relapse of symptoms. For this purpose, we will use the National Pandemic Cohort Network (NAPKON) data and two well-characterized samples of the project partners. 3) We aim to contribute to more detailed phenotyping, including the characterization of social inequalities, by developing an mHealth application on the COFONI technology platform to monitor post COVID-19 symptoms, their social- contextual determinants and consequences in daily life. 4) Prognostic models will be re-evaluated in an international sample. Diagnostic and interventional recommendations will be derived.