On Jul. 8, 2025, a study published in Nature showed the prevalence of cognitive impairment 2 years after SARS-CoV-2 infection in survivors of the first year of the pandemic and comparison groups matched 1:1 for sex, age, and level of care.

The NeurodegCoV-19 prospective study aims to compare the cognitive trajectories of individuals infected with SARS-CoV-2 (hospitalized and non-hospitalized) and comparison groups from nearly 2 years after SARS-CoV-2 infection with a 1 year follow-up. The present study presents the prevalence of cognitive impairment at the baseline evaluation of the cohort and explores its association with SARS-CoV-2 infection. It allows researchers to understand if survivors of COVID-19 from the first year of the pandemic are more likely to present cognitive impairment 2 years after SARS-CoV-2 infection than the general population.

In brief, the study population was the county of Matosinhos, North Portugal, the most affected region by the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. Nearly all its citizens are registered at the Unidade Local de Saúde de Matosinhos (ULSM). ULSM comprises a 380-bed hospital, several primary care units, and palliative care units, serving as the sole provider of primary and hospital care in Matosinhos, within the Portuguese National Health System.

Survivors of the disease may require special attention from clinical doctors to diagnose and treat cognitive impairment, namely, those who were hospitalized for more than 15 days, in intermediate or intensive care units, and presented disorientation, changes in vision, gait or balance, during infection. Conversely, although cognitive impairment was less frequent and severe in COVID-19 cases who had been followed in the community during infection, this population is younger. Causality between SARS-CoV-2 infection and cognitive impairment could not be inferred from the present study.

The follow-up of participants of the NeurodegCoV-19 and other COVID-19 cohorts are needed to better understand the long-term relation between COVID-19 and cognitive dysfunction. Nevertheless, in clinical practice, this antecedent may constitute as relevant information among other characteristics of the patients presenting a possible neurodegenerative cognitive dysfunction.