A groundbreaking trial by University College London has developed the first effective cognitive rehabilitation programme for Long Covid, helping patients overcome brain fog and return to daily activities. The study, involving 78 participants, demonstrated that simple techniques taught over ten weeks can significantly reduce symptoms such as memory loss, attention deficits, and planning difficulties.
Key Findings and Impact
The programme, funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research, showed that 84% of participants reported significant improvement three months after completing cognitive rehab, compared to 53% of the control group receiving standard care. After six months, 53% of the rehab group achieved substantial improvement in goal attainment, versus only 15% in the control group. The findings were published in JAMA Network Open.
Lead author Dr Martina Vanova stated: “As many as one in three people with Covid go on to develop Long Covid, and cognitive difficulties are among the most common symptoms that can persist for months, disrupting day-to-day functioning and quality of life.”
Techniques Used in the Programme
Therapists coached participants through hour-long video calls over ten weeks, teaching strategies to improve working memory and concentration. Techniques included visualisation, chunking, and categorising. For memory, patients practised visualising their daily calendar, breaking long texts into sections, and grouping shopping list items by category.
To maintain attention, participants set timers for 10 minutes of focused work followed by a five-minute breathing break. They were advised to eliminate distractions, such as turning off phone notifications, and to log forgetfulness or distraction incidents to identify patterns. For sequencing tasks like cooking, coaches recommended talking through each step aloud and forming habits by performing activities at the same time daily.
Patient Success Story
Emma Sullivan, 57, a mother of two from Surrey, caught Covid-19 in August 2021 and was diagnosed with Long Covid four months later. She said: “It was terrible, affecting my life in lots of ways, but particularly mentally. I could no longer concentrate or multi-task and struggled with reading problems, exhaustion and speaking in full sentences.” After the trial, she added: “I built up my concentration abilities once again so I can finish a 1,000 piece jigsaw puzzle by myself, after previously struggling with my granddaughter’s 30-piece puzzles.”
Broader Implications
Chief investigator Professor Dennis Chan said: “Since the Covid-19 pandemic, we have been trying to better understand Long Covid-related brain fog and have been exploring ways to address it. With this study we have found that an individualised treatment programme of cognitive rehabilitation can help those affected return to normal function.”
Joint senior author Dr Aida Suarez-Gonzalez added: “We have found a treatment that provides clinically meaningful and sustained benefit for people with cognitive long Covid symptoms. As this programme is based on established cognitive rehabilitation techniques that have been used for other conditions, we hope that it can be easily rolled out as a treatment option for people currently living with long Covid.”
The GP Patient Survey last year indicated that 4.2% of the population in England—over two million people—describe themselves as living with Long Covid. This breakthrough offers hope to thousands of families affected by the lasting symptoms of Covid-19.
