Cognitive Dysfunction in COVID-19

We present here an analysis of non-Russian publications illustrating changes in concepts relating to the etiology, pathogenesis, main pathophysiological syndromes, and clinical manifestations of nervous system damage in COVID-19 over 2.5 years of the pandemic. The current view of COVID-19 is that it is a pathology with a tendency to multiple organ damage, in which the symptoms of nervous system damage not only determine the severity of the disease, but also indirectly affect the development of somatic manifestations, such as distress syndrome. Particular attention is paid to analysis of publications summarizing available information on the incidence of cognitive deficit in the acute and post-COVID periods and their risk factors and prospects for recovery. The mechanisms probably underlying cognitive deficit are considered. Despite a significant number of observations and publications, some of the mechanisms of nervous system damage in COVID-19 and the selectivity of the cognitive deficit pattern remain unclear. Contemporary publications lack information on long term prognostication of the state of the cognitive domain, which is an important argument for research to continue. © 2023, Springer Nature Switzerland AG.