Personality traits as risk factors for the development of cognitive impairment and affective symptoms in patients with COVID-19

Zemlyanaya A.A.

Moscow Research Institute of Psychiatry Branch of the Serbsky National Medical Research Center for Psychiatry and Narcology

Kalinin V.V.

Moscow Research Institute of Psychiatry Branch of the Serbsky National Medical Research Center for Psychiatry and Narcology

Damulin I.V.

Medical Institute of Russian Peoples’ Friendship University;
Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University)

Fedorenko E.A.

Moscow Research Institute of Psychiatry Branch of the Serbsky National Medical Research Center for Psychiatry and Narcology

Syrtsev M.A.

Psychoneurological dispensary No. 8 — a branch of GBUZ Gannushkina Psychiatry Clinical Hospital 4

Personality traits as risk factors for the development of cognitive impairment and affective symptoms in patients with COVID-19

Authors:

Zemlyanaya A.A., Kalinin V.V., Damulin I.V., Fedorenko E.A., Syrtsev M.A.

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Journal: S.S. Korsakov Journal of Neurology and Psychiatry. 2022;122(12): 79‑84

DOI: 10.17116/jnevro202212212179

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To cite this article:

Zemlyanaya AA, Kalinin VV, Damulin IV, Fedorenko EA, Syrtsev MA. Personality traits as risk factors for the development of cognitive impairment and affective symptoms in patients with COVID-19. S.S. Korsakov Journal of Neurology and Psychiatry. 2022;122(12):79‑84. (In Russ.)
https://doi.org/10.17116/jnevro202212212179

Подписка 2025-2 (S.S. Korsakov Journal of Neurology and Psychiatry)

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OBJECTIVE

To identify possible associations between premorbid personality traits and cognitive impairment and affective symptoms in patients who have recovered from COVID-19.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The study included 30 people with the so-called post-COVID syndrome. The diagnosis of COVID-19 was previously confirmed by laboratory tests in each patient. The control group included 15 healthy individuals. The Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale was used to assess depression and anxiety. Cognitive function was assessed using the Verbal Fluency Test (VF), the Montreal Cognitive Scale (MOCA), and the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test (WCST). The Munich Personality Test (MRT) and the Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-26) were used to assess premorbid personality characteristics. Multiple stepwise regression analysis was used as the main statistical method to identify the relationship between premorbid personality constructs and cognitive test results and affective and anxiety symptoms.

RESULTS

The presence of frustration tolerance in the personality structure reduced the number of incorrect answers (beta coefficient –0.811) in WCST and decreased the delay in responses with positive reinforcement (–0.630), and also reduced the level of depression (–0.465). Extraversion decreased the MOCA test score (–0.675) and increased the percentage of perseverative incorrect answers on the WCST test (0.573). The constructs of adherence to social norms and propensity to isolate lowered the final MOCA score (beta coefficients are –0.725 and –0.527, respectively). The esoteric tendencies construct decreased the latency of positive and negative reinforcement responses in WCST (–0.441 and –0.528, respectively). The severity of alexithymia was positively correlated with depression (beta 0.577), while neuroticism was positively correlated with anxiety (0.737).

CONCLUSION

Low levels of frustration tolerance and esoteric tendencies have negative effects on cognition in COVID-19 survivors, while high levels of these constructs are protective against cognitive decline and depression.

Keywords:

personality traits

Munich personality test

alexithymia

post COVID-19 syndrome

cognitive impairment

affective

anxiety symptomatology

Authors:

Zemlyanaya A.A.

Moscow Research Institute of Psychiatry Branch of the Serbsky National Medical Research Center for Psychiatry and Narcology

Kalinin V.V.

Moscow Research Institute of Psychiatry Branch of the Serbsky National Medical Research Center for Psychiatry and Narcology

Damulin I.V.

Medical Institute of Russian Peoples’ Friendship University;
Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University (Sechenov University)

Fedorenko E.A.

Moscow Research Institute of Psychiatry Branch of the Serbsky National Medical Research Center for Psychiatry and Narcology

Syrtsev M.A.

Psychoneurological dispensary No. 8 — a branch of GBUZ Gannushkina Psychiatry Clinical Hospital 4

Received:

27.07.2022

Accepted:

14.08.2022

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