{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,6]],"date-time":"2026-10-06T15:03:56Z","timestamp":1791299036731,"version":"4.1.0"},"reference-count":40,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,25]],"date-time":"2025-06-25T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1750809600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Neurol."],"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Background<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Long-COVID refers to ongoing, relapsing, or new symptoms present 30 or more days after Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. This study examined the prevalence and severity of neurologic symptoms at greater than 1\u202fmonth following acute SARS-CoV-2 infection and the influence of pre-existing neurologic and psychiatric conditions, current depression and anxiety status, and hospitalization on the presence and severity of these symptoms.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>This prospective cohort study recruited primarily self-referred Long-COVID participants with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection. Online questionnaires inquiring about pre-existing conditions, neurologic symptoms and their severity pre, during and post COVID-19, and current anxiety and depression screening were completed by 213 participants at a median time of 8\u202fmonths after infection. Descriptive analyses and prevalence modeling were performed.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>The most frequent neurologic symptoms post COVID-19 were fatigue, concentration\/memory difficulties, unrefreshed sleep, and dysarthria\/word finding difficulties (73.2\u201386.4%). Neurologic symptoms were highly prevalent with significantly greater odds post COVID-19 compared to pre for all symptoms and higher prevalence at time periods farther from infection, including those implicit in fibromyalgia and myalgic encephalomyelitis\/chronic fatigue syndrome. Several severe neurologic symptoms were significantly more prevalent post COVID-19. Moderate to severe anxiety (34%) and depression (27%) were observed post COVID-19. Preexisting neurologic or psychiatric conditions did not demonstrate any significant difference in neurologic symptom prevalence post COVID-19. Those who met criteria for moderate or severe anxiety post COVID-19 had a significant difference in prevalence of fatigue, sensitivity to touch and unrefreshed sleep. Similarly, fatigue, concentration\/memory difficulty and unrefreshed sleep were more prevalent in moderate to severe depression. There were no significant differences in neurologic symptom prevalence in a hospitalized group when compared to non- hospitalized.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Long-COVID has a high burden of long lasting and severe neurological sequelae. These sequelae are independent of pre-existing self-reported neurologic and psychiatric conditions, as well as previous hospitalization. Current moderate to severe anxiety and depression status can impact fatigue, cognition, and sleep post COVID-19. Focus on the biological impact of SARS-CoV-2 on the nervous system will be essential in ameliorating the tremendous symptom burden left in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Clinical trial registration<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>\n                      <jats:uri>http:\/\/clinicaltrials.gov<\/jats:uri>\n                      , identifier: NCT04573062.\n                    <\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fneur.2025.1562084","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,25]],"date-time":"2025-06-25T00:10:48Z","timestamp":1750810248000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":8,"title":["Prevalence and severity of neurologic symptoms in Long-COVID and the role of pre-existing conditions, hospitalization, and mental health"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"16","author":[{"given":"Hanalise V.","family":"Huff","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Henry","family":"Roberts","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Elizabeth","family":"Bartrum","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Gina","family":"Norato","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Nicholas","family":"Grayson","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Katherine","family":"Fleig","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Miciah J.","family":"Wilkerson","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Barbara J.","family":"Stussman","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Avindra","family":"Nath","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Brian","family":"Walitt","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,6,25]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref1","volume-title":"A Long COVID definition: A chronic, systemic disease state with profound consequences","year":"2024"},{"key":"ref2","volume-title":"A Long COVID definition: A chronic, systemic disease state with profound consequences","author":"Goldowitz","year":"2024"},{"key":"ref3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"e102","DOI":"10.1016\/S1473-3099(21)00703-9","article-title":"A clinical case definition of post-COVID-19 condition by a Delphi 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