Cognitive damage after COVID-19 in a patient with Parkinson’s disease and dementia: A case report

Abstract

Introduction: The human disease associated with the new coronavirus, called COVID-19, was initially discovered in Wuhan, China. Although the existing literature on cognitive damage resulting from this injury is still very scarce, recent studies have shown dysfunction in the field of sustained attention, memory, verbal fluency and executive function, especially in patients with baseline neurocognitive fragility, such as Parkinson's disease (PD). These tend to have exacerbation of symptoms related to PD, in addition to strong psychological distress. Therefore, the aim of the present study is to report the case of a patient with PD and Dementia who evolved with cognitive decline during SARS-CoV-2 infection. Case Report: We present the case of a 63-year-old male patient with Parkinson's disease and dementia diagnosed 1 year before the condition, who presented significant cognitive decline during the SARS-CoV-2 infection. Discussion: The presentation of COVID-19 reported here consists of an atypical manifestation of the disease in a patient susceptible to cognitive damage due to the underlying dementia. It is believed that this pathology can cause patients with cognitive impairments that last from months to years after the infection, as observed in SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV infections. Conclusion: the effects of SARS-CoV-2 on cognitive function are gradually more apparent. Still, clinical trials in the short, medium and long term are essential to determine the main risk and vulnerability factors associated with cognitive impairment by COVID-19.