CompletedNot Applicable

Attention, Memory and Quality of Life in Post-COVID-19 Adults

Brazil41 participantsStarted 2025-06-10

Plain-language summary

The pandemic has highlighted social, economic, educational, and political issues that have affected the health and quality of life of millions of Brazilians. Currently, attention and memory impairment remains predominant among the cognitive symptoms of Coronavirus observed in adults. The persistance of the reffered impairment after 12 weeks of COVID-19 is known as cognitive impairment in post-COVID-19 syndrome. Despite studies indicating the negative effects of COVID-19 on attention and memory, there is a gap in the literature regarding its effects on self-reflection and insight. Previous studies highlight the role of self-awareness as an essential cognitive process that aids the criation of a resolution for the social consequences of the ongoing pandemic. Thus, understanding the relationship between self-reflection, insight, memory, and quality of life in adults that presented COVID-19 could reveal how memory loss might affect the ability to evaluate and understand one's own behaviors and quality of life. Moreover, this study could provide a background for future interventions to enhance attention, memory, self-reflection, and insight in this population. In this context, quantitative electroencephalogram neurofeedback training (EEGq-NFT) is a promising non-invasive intervention designed to improve cognition, such as attention and working memory. By modifying electrophysiological patterns in the cerebral cortex. Considering the information presented, the question is what is the relationship between cognitive failures, self-reflection and insight, and quality of life in adults who had COVID-19, and what is the efficacy of EEGq-NFT training in rehabilitating attention and working memory in adults with cognitive impairment due to post-COVID-19 syndrome. This study aims to examine the relationship between cognitive failures, self-reflection, insight, and quality of life in adults post-COVID-19, as well as to assess the efficacy of EEGq-NFT in improving attention and working memory in adults with cognitive impairment due to post-COVID-19 syndrome. Method 1 will employ a survey with cross-sectional design and quantitative data analysis. A total of 385 adults will be recruted. Data will be collected through online forms. Cognitive Failures Questionnaire, Self-Reflection and Insight Scale and WHOQOL-bref scale will be used. In Method 2, a quasi-experimental with quantitative data analysis will be employed. A total of 60 participants will be randomly assigned to an EEGq neurofeedback training group (n = 20), an active control group called SHAM EEGq-neurofeedback (n = 20), and a waiting list control group (n = 20). The theta/beta ratio reduction protocol at Cz will be used, with 10 sessions of 30 minutes each. The Psychological Battery of Attention 2 (BPA-2) and Digit Span Test will be employed to measure attention and working memory levels. Statistical analyses will be performed using IBM SPSS version 25 with statistical significance set at p \< 0.05 for a 95% confidence interval. The research follows all ethical standards for studies involving human subjects and was submitted for review and approval at the Research Ethics Committee. A understanding of memory levels, self-reflection, insight, and quality of life in adults post- COVID-19 is expected as a result of the present study. Additionally, this study expects that EEGq-NFT will be effective in reducing the theta/beta ratio, as well as improving attention and working memory in adults with cognitive impairment in post-COVID-19 syndrome.

Who can participate

Age range

18 Years – 60 Years

Sex

ALL

See this in plain English?

AI-rewrites the medical criteria so a patient or caregiver can understand them. Always confirm with the trial site.

The inclusion criteria - 1) Be over 18 years old and under 60 years old, 2) Authorize participation in the study through the informed consent form. The exclusion criteria - 1) Be under 18 years old and over 60 years old; 2) Discontinue participation in the study, 3) Use psychoactive substances that affect attention and memory, 4) Present physical or cognitive repercussions resulting from other diagnoses prior to or subsequent to COVID-19, 5) Present a history of attention and memory impairment prior to the diagnosis of COVID-19.

Questions worth asking your doctor

Bring these to your next appointment. They're a starting point for a shared conversation — not a sign you qualify or a recommendation to enrol.

1Based on my diagnosis and history, is this trial worth exploring for me — or is there a standard treatment we should try first?
2What does this trial's phase tell us about how much is already known about its safety and benefit?
3What would taking part actually involve for me — visits, tests, time, and travel?
4What are the known and possible risks or side effects I should weigh, and how would they be monitored?
5If this trial isn't the right fit, what other options or trials would you suggest I look into?

Generated to help you prepare — always confirm anything about your own eligibility and care with the study team and your doctor.

Questions for the trial coordinator

The trial coordinator is the person who runs the study day to day. These cover the practical side — logistics, costs, and what taking part would actually mean for your life. The study team confirms whether you meet the criteria; these are questions to ask, not a sign you qualify.

1What does taking part actually involve week to week — how many visits, where, and how long does each one take?
2What costs are covered by the study, and what might I have to pay for myself, including travel, parking, or time off work?
3What happens during screening, and what happens if the study team confirms I don't meet the criteria after those tests?
4Who pays for the scans, blood work, and other tests the trial requires — the study, my insurance, or me?
5How will being in the trial affect my regular care, and will my own doctor stay informed and involved?
6Can I leave the trial at any point if I change my mind, and what would happen to my care if I do?

A starting point for the conversation — always confirm anything about your own eligibility, costs, and care with the study team and your doctor.

What they're measuring

Change from Baseline in the Mean of Psychological Battery of Attention 2 (BPA-2), Digit Span Test, and Five Digit Test at 5 weeks

Timeframe: From baseline to the end of treatment at 5 weeks. Finally, at follow-up 30 days post treatment.

Trial details

NCT IDNCT07005921

SponsorJade Carvalho Da Silva

Sponsor typeOTHER

Study typeINTERVENTIONAL

Primary completion2026-05-30

View on ClinicalTrials.gov More Post-Acute COVID-19 Syndrome trials