INS NYC 2024 Program

Poster	Poster Session 09 Program Schedule 02/16/2024 03:30 pm - 04:45 pm Room: Shubert Complex (Posters 1-60) Poster Session 09: Epilepsy \| Oncology \| MS \| Infectious Disease Final Abstract #16 Relationship of Pre-Pandemic Cognitive Function to Contagious Illness Mitigation Behaviors During the COVID-19 Pandemic Tara `Austin, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, United States Jacqueline Maye, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, United States Christina Sheerin, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, United States Michael Thomas, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, United States Elizabeth Twamley, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, United States Category: Infectious Disease (HIV/COVID/Hepatitis/Viruses) Keyword 1: activities of daily living Keyword 2: cognitive functioning Objective: Cognitive dysfunction is a risk factor for COVID-19 infection. Dementia, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and psychiatric illnesses are all associated with increased risk of COVID-19 infections; a possible explanation for this link is that cognitive dysfunction may interfere with infection mitigation behaviors, such as social distancing, mask wearing, and frequent handwashing. This study used ecological momentary assessment methods (EMA) to probe infection mitigation strategy use in a mixed sample of Veterans with varying levels of cognitive and psychiatric symptoms. Participants and Methods: The participants were a subsample of a national, longitudinal registry study of mental health, physical, and cognitive outcomes among Veterans and Service Members with history of combat exposure during deployment (Long-term Impacts of Military Brain Injury Consortium-Chronic Effects of Neurotrauma Consortium; LIMBIC-CENC). Participants (n=34) underwent a comprehensive neuropsychological assessment prior to the pandemic, measuring premorbid intellectual functioning (as measured by word reading), attention/processing speed, verbal/visual learning and memory, executive functioning, and language. Fully demographically corrected scores (e.g., corrected for age, education, sex, and race/ethnicity) were available for most neuropsychological tests and were used to control for possible confounding factors; the remaining tests were age corrected. EMA data were collected as part of a spinoff study that began during the pandemic; data were collected three times per day for four weeks and measured infection mitigation behaviors (i.e., social infection control behaviors, health information consumption, hand hygiene). We created a weighted average using all EMA datapoints collected during the four-week period. Bivariate Pearson correlations were computed between baseline neuropsychological performance (at time of entrance into LIMBIC-CENC study) and infection mitigation behaviors. Results: Participants were predominantly White and non-Hispanic (52%) males (90%) with an average age of 38.6 years and 14.8 years of education. 33% of the sample reported previous COVID-19 infection. Of those, 10% received medical care for severe symptoms and one participant required hospitalization. The mostly widely reported infection reduction behaviors were handwashing (endorsed on average at 64% of the EMA prompts during the assessment period), mask-wearing (46%), and hand sanitizer use (41%). The least reported behaviors were asking if others were sick (18%), staying away from people with symptoms (25%), and avoiding touching items (29%). Worse global cognitive performance (r(37)=-0.32, p=0.04) and lower premorbid intellectual functioning, (r(37)=-0.35, p=0.04) were associated with lower rates of social infection control behaviors (e.g., avoiding sick individuals, mask-wearing). Worse attention/processing speed performance was significantly associated with less consumption of health-related information (r(37)=-0.30, p=0.04). Worse learning/memory was associated with less consumption of health related information (r(37)=-0.29 p=0.04) and fewer social infection mitigation behaviors (r(37)=-0.35, p=0.029). Conclusions: Worse pre-pandemic cognitive performance was significantly associated with fewer infection mitigation behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although these findings merit replication with a larger sample, results from this study indicate that individuals with cognitive dysfunction are a group that should be prioritized in the areas of health promotion and disease prevention strategies.

Poster

02/16/2024
03:30 pm - 04:45 pm
Room: Shubert Complex (Posters 1-60)

Poster Session 09: Epilepsy | Oncology | MS | Infectious Disease

Final Abstract #16

Relationship of Pre-Pandemic Cognitive Function to Contagious Illness Mitigation Behaviors During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Tara `Austin, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, United States
Jacqueline Maye, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, United States
Christina Sheerin, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, United States
Michael Thomas, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, United States
Elizabeth Twamley, VA San Diego Healthcare System, San Diego, United States

Category: Infectious Disease (HIV/COVID/Hepatitis/Viruses)

Keyword 1: activities of daily living
Keyword 2: cognitive functioning

Objective:

Cognitive dysfunction is a risk factor for COVID-19 infection. Dementia, mild cognitive impairment (MCI), and psychiatric illnesses are all associated with increased risk of COVID-19 infections; a possible explanation for this link is that cognitive dysfunction may interfere with infection mitigation behaviors, such as social distancing, mask wearing, and frequent handwashing. This study used ecological momentary assessment methods (EMA) to probe infection mitigation strategy use in a mixed sample of Veterans with varying levels of cognitive and psychiatric symptoms.

Participants and Methods:

The participants were a subsample of a national, longitudinal registry study of mental health, physical, and cognitive outcomes among Veterans and Service Members with history of combat exposure during deployment (Long-term Impacts of Military Brain Injury Consortium-Chronic Effects of Neurotrauma Consortium; LIMBIC-CENC). Participants (n=34) underwent a comprehensive neuropsychological assessment prior to the pandemic, measuring premorbid intellectual functioning (as measured by word reading), attention/processing speed, verbal/visual learning and memory, executive functioning, and language. Fully demographically corrected scores (e.g., corrected for age, education, sex, and race/ethnicity) were available for most neuropsychological tests and were used to control for possible confounding factors; the remaining tests were age corrected. EMA data were collected as part of a spinoff study that began during the pandemic; data were collected three times per day for four weeks and measured infection mitigation behaviors (i.e., social infection control behaviors, health information consumption, hand hygiene). We created a weighted average using all EMA datapoints collected during the four-week period. Bivariate Pearson correlations were computed between baseline neuropsychological performance (at time of entrance into LIMBIC-CENC study) and infection mitigation behaviors.

Results:

Participants were predominantly White and non-Hispanic (52%) males (90%) with an average age of 38.6 years and 14.8 years of education. 33% of the sample reported previous COVID-19 infection. Of those, 10% received medical care for severe symptoms and one participant required hospitalization. The mostly widely reported infection reduction behaviors were handwashing (endorsed on average at 64% of the EMA prompts during the assessment period), mask-wearing (46%), and hand sanitizer use (41%). The least reported behaviors were asking if others were sick (18%), staying away from people with symptoms (25%), and avoiding touching items (29%). Worse global cognitive performance (r(37)=-0.32, p=0.04) and lower premorbid intellectual functioning, (r(37)=-0.35, p=0.04) were associated with lower rates of social infection control behaviors (e.g., avoiding sick individuals, mask-wearing). Worse attention/processing speed performance was significantly associated with less consumption of health-related information (r(37)=-0.30, p=0.04). Worse learning/memory was associated with less consumption of health related information (r(37)=-0.29 p=0.04) and fewer social infection mitigation behaviors (r(37)=-0.35, p=0.029).

Conclusions:

Worse pre-pandemic cognitive performance was significantly associated with fewer infection mitigation behaviors during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although these findings merit replication with a larger sample, results from this study indicate that individuals with cognitive dysfunction are a group that should be prioritized in the areas of health promotion and disease prevention strategies.