The Norwegian study of nervous system manifestations and sequelae in COVID-19 (NeuroCOVID)
Background:
Corona virus (CoV) may not only affect the respiratory system, but also have deleterious effects on the central nervous system. As the number of individuals infected by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is increasing, more neurologic, neuropsychological and neuropsychiatric symptoms are being reported in COVID-19 patients. COVID-19 may affect the nervous system via four potential mechanisms; direct viral injury of nervous tissue, an excessive immune response in the form of a "cytokine storm”, unintended host immune response effects after an acute infection or as a result of indirect viral injury results from the effects of systemic illness. In addition, the COVID-19 is a significant psychological stressor an may contribute to neuropsychiatric and neuropsychological sequalae. The long-term effect on neurological and neuropsychological functioning.
Primary objective:
To assess the neurological, neuropsychological and neuropsychiatric manifestations of COVID-19 and identify possible post-COVID neurologic, neuropsychological and neuropsychiatric syndromes at follow-up.
The secondary objectives:
To assess at 6 and 12 months´ follow-up:
The rate of stroke, peripheral nervous affection, myopathy, brain MRI pathology, level of blood specific biomarkers, rate of post-COVID-19 related cognitive and/or neuropsychiatric manifestations, the rate of death.
To assess if there is an association between inflammatory markers and neuropsychiatry/neuropsychology, between neuroimaging and neuropsychiatry/neuropsychology or between neurologic examination and neuropsychiatry/neuropsychology.
Methods
Study design: Multi-center prospective observational study of the occurrence of neurological manifestations and sequelae in patients with COVID-19 at 6- and 12-months follow-up.
Project leader: