The Impact of COVID-19 on Mental Functioning
September 4, 2025Magyar Testnevelési és Sporttudományi Egyetem

Professor Ákos Koller and his excellent colleague Johanna Takács, along with two young undergraduate researchers, Darina Deák and Beáta Seregély, published an insightful article in the Q1-ranked journal LIFE (Basel).

Since the outbreak of COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus) in 2020, over 770 million people worldwide have been infected with the virus, which is known to cause multi-organ disease. Following infection, clinically significant, persistent, new, or recurring symptoms may occur, leading to disability and a reduced quality of life. This condition has been termed post-COVID-19 condition (PCC), which affects approximately 30% of individuals and is associated with a wide range of clinical syndromes.

While numerous studies have explored the cardiovascular symptoms of PCC, one commonly reported symptom is cognitive dysfunction (often referred to as “brain fog”). However, only a limited number of studies have investigated the long-term effects of PCC on specific domains of cognitive functioning.

In the study conducted by Prof. Ákos Koller and his team, 107 young adults—university students aged 18 to 34—participated. Of these, 68.2% had been infected with SARS-CoV-2, and 21.9% met the criteria for PCC. The study compared three groups: individuals never infected with COVID-19 (negative control), individuals who had recovered without developing PCC, and individuals with PCC. Attention and executive function were assessed using the Vienna Test System, a computerized neuropsychological test battery.

The results showed that the PCC group performed significantly worse in verbal working memory, divided attention, and response inhibition tasks compared to the other groups. Additionally, most cognitive tasks revealed increased reaction times in the PCC group, indicating cognitive slowing in young individuals suffering from PCC. The study revealed significant and persistent cognitive dysfunction in young adults two years after COVID-19 infection. The diagnosis is now clear—but what about the treatment? That remains a task for future researchers.

The article by Prof. Ákos Koller and his team was published under the title:
"Cognitive Slowing and Dysfunction in Verbal Working Memory, Divided Attention, and Response Inhibition in Young Adults with Post-COVID-19 Condition" in the Q1 journal LIFE (Basel).

 

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