Personalized Computerized Training for Cognitive Dysfunction after COVID-19: A Before-and-After Feasibility Pilot Study

Abstract

The current pilot study was set to evaluate the feasibility and potential benefit of a personalized computerized cognitive training (CCT) intervention to improve cognitive function among people living with post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC). Seventy three adults who self-reported cognitive dysfunction more than 3 months after a diagnosis of COVID-19 took part in an 8-week training study. Participants’ general cognitive function was assessed before they completed as many cognitive daily training sessions as they wished during an 8-week period, using a personalized CCT application at home. At the end of this period, participants repeated the general cognitive function assessment. The differences between the scores at 8 weeks and baseline in five cognitive domains (attention, memory, coordination, perception, reasoning), complemented with analyses of the changes based on the participants’ age, training time, self-reported health level at baseline and time since the initial COVID-19 infection. Participants had significant cognitive dysfunction and self-reported negative health levels at baseline. Most of the participants obtained higher scores after CCT in each of the domains as compared with baseline. The magnitude of this score increase was high across domains. It is concluded that a self-administered CCT based on gamified cognitive tasks could be an effective way to ameliorate cognitive dysfunction in persons with PASC. The ClinicalTrials.gov identifier is NCT05571852.

Management of cognitive impairment associated with post-COVID-19 syndrome: recommendations for primary care

“…Each one was a controlled study on the efficacy of the H2 antagonist famotidine ( Momtazmanesh et al, 2023 ) or donezepil hydrochloride ( Pooladgar et al, 2023 ), and one investigated the effectiveness of a neuro-meditation program ( Hausswirth et al, 2023 ). A case control study evaluated the efficacy of cognitive remediation therapy ( Palladini et al, 2023 ), a feasibility pilot study was carried out on a personalized computerized cognitive training ( Dunabeitia et al, 2023 ), and one observational pilot study evaluated a multimodal therapy concept with behavioral therapy-oriented, disorder-specific psychotherapy and exercise therapy ( Kupferschmitt et al, 2023 ). Moreover, a retrospective analysis was performed with data from 64 patients suffering from PCS who were treated with a day-by-day individualized psychological intervention of cognitive stimulation in addition to a standard in-hospital rehabilitation program ( Rabaiotti et al, 2023 ).…”

Enhancing Executive Functions in Pediatric Epilepsy: Feasibility and Efficacy of a Computerized Cognitive Training Program

“…This method aims to recover, compensate, or enhance cognitive functions through training or the repetitive practice of specific strategies [18]. Its efficacy in enhancing cognitive mechanisms in individuals with epilepsy is particularly promising, considering the proven utility of cognitive stimulation programs in rehabilitating executive functions in disorders such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) [19,20], Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) [21], insomnia [22], cancer-related cognitive impairment (CRCI) [23], post-acute sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC) [24], and schizophrenia [25], among others.…”

Effectiveness of a Computerized Home-Based Cognitive Stimulation Program for Treating Cancer-Related Cognitive Impairment

“…In healthcare, many governments and institutions adopted a telemedicine system approach to patient care. Similarly, the use of mobile applications and health-related electronic devices, including digital therapeutics (software-driven therapeutic approaches for the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of pathological conditions) have exponentially increased as a response to the urgent need for patient-centered interventions [ 90 , 91 , 92 ]. Hence, computerized cognitive stimulation has been presented as a potentially valuable tool that allows the patient to undertake the training when it best suits their own agenda while allowing the healthcare professional to monitor the patient’s progress.…”