Neuropsychiatric sequelae of COVID-19 in pediatric populations: The higher prevalence and related factors in adolescents.

BACKGROUND

Pediatric individuals might exhibit enduring neuropsychiatric symptoms following SARS-CoV-2 infection. However, there was a significant gap in comparative analyses between children and adolescents. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence and predictive factors of post-COVID-19 neuropsychiatric symptoms in both children and adolescents.

METHODS

This cross-sectional study involved 180 individuals aged 18 years and younger, categorized into child (aged between 6 and 9 years) and adolescent groups (aged between 12 and 18 years). Questionnaire-based surveys collected sociodemographic and clinical data, including neuropsychiatric and non-neuropsychiatric symptoms upon COVID-19 diagnosis.

RESULTS

Our findings indicated a higher prevalence of neuropsychiatric symptoms in adolescents, with distinct predictive factors identified for each group. In children, behavioral changes (Exp[B] = 4.00, 95 % CI: 1.85-8.69), dysphagia (Exp[B] = 3.27, 95 % CI: 1.21-8.88), and chest tightness (Exp[B] = 2.14, 95 % CI: 1.10-4.15) were associated with more post-COVID-19 neuropsychiatric symptoms. In contrast, imbalance (Exp[B] = 2.28, 95 % CI: 1.51-3.46), dizziness (Exp[B] = 2.27, 95 % CI: 1.44-3.58), and diarrhea (Exp[B] = 1.87, 95 % CI: 1.29-2.70) were linked to a greater symptom burden in adolescents. Additionally, vaccinated adolescents were less likely to report brain fog (15.2 % vs. 53.8 %, p = 0.002), memory deficit (17.9 % vs. 46.2 %, p = 0.028), and dysgeusia/dysosmia (7.5 % vs. 30.8 %, p = 0.034).

CONCLUSIONS

This study underscored the differential manifestations of neuropsychiatric symptoms and predictive factors between children and adolescents, emphasizing the need for particular attention to adolescents.