FEATURES OF NEUROCOGNITIVE AND AUTONOMIC DISORDERS AND PAIN IN PATIENTS IN THE ACUTE PHASE OF COVID-19

Iryna  Mudrenko; Oleksandra  Kotkova; Dmytro  Sotnikov; Oleksandr  Potapov; Anna  Kobyletskaya; Vitaliy  Mudrenko; Valeriia  Hetmanska

doi:10.21272/eumj.2026;14(2);443-452

Iryna Mudrenko Sumy State University, Medical Institute, Department of Neurosurgery and Neurology, Sumy, Ukraine https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1849-338X
Oleksandra Kotkova Bogomolets National Medical University, Kyiv, Ukraine https://orcid.org/0009-0008-7182-1603
Dmytro Sotnikov Sumy State University, Medical Institute, Department of Neurosurgery and Neurology, Sumy, Ukraine https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8030-0369
Oleksandr Potapov Ivano-Frankivsk National Medical University, Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0913-3024
Anna Kobyletskaya Sumy State University, Medical Institute, Department of Neurosurgery and Neurology, Sumy, Ukraine https://orcid.org/0009-0009-2501-1885
Vitaliy Mudrenko Regional Clinical Medical Center for Socially Dangerous Diseases, Sumy, Ukraine https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2235-3838
Valeriia Hetmanska Sumy State University, Medical Institute, Department of Neurosurgery and Neurology, Sumy, Ukraine https://orcid.org/0009-0001-4703-1942

DOI: https://doi.org/10.21272/eumj.2026;14(2);443-452

Keywords: COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, autonomic dysfunction, cognitive impairment, neuropathic pain

Abstract

Introduction. The WHO emphasizes that the COVID-19 pandemic has a negative impact on mental health, with approximately 20% of patients who have had COVID-19 experiencing mental disorders.

Research objective was to investigate gender and age characteristics of psychopathological symptoms in patients in the acute phase of SARS-CoV-2 respiratory infection.

Materials and methods. A total of 66 patients aged 8 to 92 years with COVID-19 undergoing inpatient treatment with confirmed lung damage were examined. Clinical, clinical-psychopathological, psychometric, and statistical data processing methods were used to assess the mental status of patients.

Results. A high frequency of autonomic symptoms was found among the examined patients. The presence of autonomic dysfunction syndrome correlates with female gender, age, the presence of depression, anxiety, and the presence of concomitant diseases. The data obtained indicate greater autonomic reactivity in women, especially young women. Patients in the acute phase of COVID-19 showed cognitive impairment according to the MMSE results. Among women, disturbances in time orientation, writing, and reading were more pronounced. The presence and deepening of cognitive impairment correlates with age, the presence of concomitant diseases, and the presence of depression.

Analysis of pain sensations using the Paindetect questionnaire revealed the presence of neuropathic pain in 25.8% of respondents: 87.5% of women and 58.3% of men. Neuropathic pain in Covid-19 patients correlates with female gender, age over 50, lack of a partner, depression, anxiety, and autonomic dysfunction syndrome. Women mostly complained of headaches, pain in the arms, neck, and back; men were more bothered by pain in the legs, lumbar region, and joints. At the same time, widespread pain was more common in men. The highest intensity of neuropathic pain was found in the 46–60 age group.

Discussion and conclusions. COVID-19 affects the autonomic nervous system, neurocognitive processes, and pain sensitivity.

The data obtained will be useful in developing personalized approaches to the diagnosis and support of patients with COVID-19.

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