Glial-derived neurotrophic factor and neuropsychological status in COVID-19 survivors

Objective. To assess the asthenic syndrome, cognitive impairment, and the levels of glial-derived neurotrophic factor in COVID-19 survivors. Material and methods. The study cohort comprised 98 patients (64 females and 34 males) aged 25 to 65 years who received treatment at the Klyuchi resort between January and April 2022. Of these, 81 participants were COVID-19 survivors, while 17 control subjects had no history of novel coronavirus (nCoV) infection. Cognitive function was evaluated using the Montreal Cognitive Assessment Scale (MoCA) and the Bourdon test. The severity of asthenic syndrome was measured with the Multidimensional Fatigue Inventory-20 (MFI-20), and depression severity was assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory. The levels of glial-derived neurotrophic factor were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Results. The most common symptoms in nCoV survivors were identified. Testing results for patients with and without a history of COVID-19 were compared. Statistically significant differences were found between the groups in the MFI-20 test, the attention assessment in the Bourdon test, and blood glial-derived neurotrophic factor levels. Conclusion. COVID-19 survivors had significant asthenia and decreased processing speed for visual information, as measured by the Bourdon test, correlating with increased blood levels of the glial-derived neurotrophic factor.