Can Covid Cause Memory Loss?

Family Medicine, Primary Care Roots Community Health Center, Hippo Education, Kameda Medical Center

Supervised by Kenji Taylor, MD

Yes, Covid can sometimes cause memory problems, including trouble with working memory and recalling everyday tasks. Some studies have shown that people who had Covid may experience memory issues, but not everyone is affected.

Explanation

Research shows that some people who get Covid-19 might have problems with memory after they get better. Working memory, which helps us hold information in our minds while we use it (like remembering a phone number briefly), can be affected. In several studies, scientists found that people who had Covid-19 sometimes had a harder time with tasks that need good memory skills compared to those who recovered without these issues. This may be because the virus can cause inflammation, which affects the brain. Inflammation might lead to small changes in the brain that make it harder to remember things clearly, and stress or feeling tired while recovering may also add to these problems. It is important to understand that not everyone who gets Covid-19 experiences memory loss. Some people have only mild changes in their cognitive abilities, and many recover fully over time. Researchers are still learning about how long these memory issues last, and if they may go away with time or need extra care.

(References)

Hampshire A, Azor A, Atchison C, Trender W, Hellyer PJ, Giunchiglia V, Husain M, Cooke GS, Cooper E, Lound A, Donnelly CA, Chadeau-Hyam M, Ward H, Elliott P. Cognition and Memory after Covid-19 in a Large Community Sample. N Engl J Med. 2024 Feb 29;390(9):806-818. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa2311330. PMID: 38416429; PMCID: PMC7615803.
Serrano Del Pueblo VM, Serrano-Heras G, Romero Sánchez CM, Landete PP, Rojas-Bartolome L, Feria I, Morris RGM, Strange B, Mansilla F, Zhang L, Castro-Robles B, Arias-Salazar L, López-López S, Payá M, Segura T, Muñoz-López M. Brain and cognitive changes in patients with long COVID compared with infection-recovered control subjects. Brain. 2024 Oct 3;147(10):3611-3623. doi: 10.1093/brain/awae101. PMID: 38562097.
Cui R, Gao B, Ge R, Li M, Li M, Lu X, Jiang S. The effects of COVID-19 infection on working memory: a systematic review. Curr Med Res Opin. 2024 Feb;40(2):217-227. doi: 10.1080/03007995.2023.2286312. Epub 2024 Jan 24. PMID: 38008952.

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