Attention deficits and depressive symptoms improve differentially after rehabilitation of post-COVID condition - A prospective cohort study

Background: Depressive and cognitive symptoms like fatigue, loss of energy or sleep disorders characterise the post-COVID condition. Post-COVID psychosomatic rehabilitation should focus on both symptom groups. The current prospective cohort study addresses the change in these symptoms in the context of a psychosomatic rehabilitation.Method: N 1/4 80 patients with post-COVID symptoms underwent psychological testing on admission and discharge: PHQ-9 questionnaire for depression, TAP -test battery for the attention test with the sub-tests working memory, sustained attention, divided attention and alertness. Sample characteristics, including health-related and work-related parameters, the general symptom load and the course of symptoms during the five weeks of rehabilitation were evaluated.Results: On admission, the PHQ-9 indicated the presence of depressive symptoms in post-COVID patients (PHQ-9 = 15.15 +/- 5.11). Over the course of rehabilitation, the depressive symptoms decreased to a sub-clinical level (PHQ-9 = 8.80 +/- 4.61), suggesting a strong effect of post-COVID inpatient rehabilitation (Cohen's d = 1.57). At the same time, post-COVID patients showed clinically relevant impairments in attention and working memory that persisted throughout the rehabilitation period despite multimodal post-COVID treatment.Conclusion: Over the course of post-COVID rehabilitation, depressive symptoms appear to be significantly reduced. With regard to cognitive impairment, a comparable effect within the short period of 5 weeks is not evident. Our results suggest the need for specific treatment of persistent neuropsychological deficits following post-COVID rehabilitation.

Automated summary

Depressive symptoms significantly decrease during post-COVID rehabilitation, while improvement in cognitive impairment is not evident. Specific treatment is needed for persistent neuropsychological deficits following rehabilitation.