INS NYC 2024 Program

Poster	Poster Session 09 Program Schedule 02/16/2024 03:30 pm - 04:45 pm Room: Majestic Complex (Posters 61-120) Poster Session 09: Epilepsy \| Oncology \| MS \| Infectious Disease Final Abstract #69 Examining the Neuropsychological Profile of Pediatric Long COVID: Influence of Pre-Existing Mood and Attention Jessica Luedke, University of South Carolina, Columbia, United States Gray Vargas, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, United States Dasal Jashar, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, United States Laura Malone, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, United States Amanda Morrow, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, United States Rowena Ng, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, United States Category: Infectious Disease (HIV/COVID/Hepatitis/Viruses) Keyword 1: cognitive functioning Keyword 2: emotional processes Keyword 3: executive functions Objective: To determine the neurocognitive profile of youth with long COVID and assess the impact of pre-existing attention and mood concerns on attention testing performance. Participants and Methods: This case series included 54 pediatric patients (65% female, M_age= 13.5, SD = 3.10, 5-19) with long COVID. Patients were referred from a multidisciplinary post-COVID-19 clinic due to new or persistent cognitive or academic concerns for at least 4 weeks following infection. Neuropsychological evaluations were conducted both telehealth and in-person. Patients passed 2-3 stand-alone or embedded performance validity tests to be included in the study. During their multidisciplinary visit, parents answered questions about pre-existing attention and mood concerns, and current neurological and medical concerns. Patients presented most frequently with attention/concentration difficulties (87%), headaches (81%), and lethargy/fatigue (80%). At their neuropsychological evaluation, patients completed a semi-flexible test battery to assess general cognitive functioning and domains of functioning thought to be implicated in long COVID. Parents were administered standardized questionnaires to assess mood, attention, and executive functioning. On objective test measures, the number of patients scoring below average (< 9^th percentile), average (9-90^th percentile), and above average (>90^th percentile) were recorded. On standardized questionnaires, the number of parents reporting T-scores that were within normal limits (T < 60), at-risk (T = 60-69), and clinically significant (T > 69) were tabulated. Fisher’s Exact Tests were used to determine whether the distribution of patients with below average performance on attention measures differ based on whether or not they had pre-existing attention or mood concerns. Results: Children with long COVID showed broadly average cognitive abilities with the largest proportion showing weaknesses in sustained attention (29% below average) and divided attention (35% below average). Importantly, children with pre-existing attention or mood concerns were not more likely to show poor attention performance (p’s > .05). On standardized questionnaires, a high percentage of parents reported at-risk to clinically significant concerns for cognitive regulation (e.g., initiation) (53%), major depressive disorder (95%), generalized anxiety disorder (85%), and inattention (66%). Conclusions: Children presenting with long COVID showed largely intact neurocognitive functioning across a number of abilities. Notably, a portion of our patients showed weaknesses on measures of attention. History of attention and mood difficulties prior to infection did not increase the chance of poor performance scores on attention measures. Future research and clinical practice involving children with long COVID should consider monitoring attention and mood functioning over time and in treatment considerations. More research examining the interplay between these variables and various clusters of physical symptoms (e.g., fatigue, pain, headaches) is warranted.

Poster

02/16/2024
03:30 pm - 04:45 pm
Room: Majestic Complex (Posters 61-120)

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

Final Abstract #69

Examining the Neuropsychological Profile of Pediatric Long COVID: Influence of Pre-Existing Mood and Attention

Jessica Luedke, University of South Carolina, Columbia, United States
Gray Vargas, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, United States
Dasal Jashar, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, United States
Laura Malone, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, United States
Amanda Morrow, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, United States
Rowena Ng, Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, United States

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

Keyword 1: cognitive functioning
Keyword 2: emotional processes
Keyword 3: executive functions

Objective:

To determine the neurocognitive profile of youth with long COVID and assess the impact of pre-existing attention and mood concerns on attention testing performance.

Participants and Methods:

This case series included 54 pediatric patients (65% female, M_age= 13.5, SD = 3.10, 5-19) with long COVID. Patients were referred from a multidisciplinary post-COVID-19 clinic due to new or persistent cognitive or academic concerns for at least 4 weeks following infection. Neuropsychological evaluations were conducted both telehealth and in-person. Patients passed 2-3 stand-alone or embedded performance validity tests to be included in the study. During their multidisciplinary visit, parents answered questions about pre-existing attention and mood concerns, and current neurological and medical concerns. Patients presented most frequently with attention/concentration difficulties (87%), headaches (81%), and lethargy/fatigue (80%). At their neuropsychological evaluation, patients completed a semi-flexible test battery to assess general cognitive functioning and domains of functioning thought to be implicated in long COVID. Parents were administered standardized questionnaires to assess mood, attention, and executive functioning.

On objective test measures, the number of patients scoring below average (< 9^th percentile), average (9-90^th percentile), and above average (>90^th percentile) were recorded. On standardized questionnaires, the number of parents reporting T-scores that were within normal limits (T < 60), at-risk (T = 60-69), and clinically significant (T > 69) were tabulated. Fisher’s Exact Tests were used to determine whether the distribution of patients with below average performance on attention measures differ based on whether or not they had pre-existing attention or mood concerns.

Results:

Children with long COVID showed broadly average cognitive abilities with the largest proportion showing weaknesses in sustained attention (29% below average) and divided attention (35% below average). Importantly, children with pre-existing attention or mood concerns were not more likely to show poor attention performance (p’s > .05). On standardized questionnaires, a high percentage of parents reported at-risk to clinically significant concerns for cognitive regulation (e.g., initiation) (53%), major depressive disorder (95%), generalized anxiety disorder (85%), and inattention (66%).

Conclusions:

Children presenting with long COVID showed largely intact neurocognitive functioning across a number of abilities. Notably, a portion of our patients showed weaknesses on measures of attention. History of attention and mood difficulties prior to infection did not increase the chance of poor performance scores on attention measures. Future research and clinical practice involving children with long COVID should consider monitoring attention and mood functioning over time and in treatment considerations. More research examining the interplay between these variables and various clusters of physical symptoms (e.g., fatigue, pain, headaches) is warranted.