Symposium

Harmonization of Assessment and Treatment Protocols for the Neuropsychological Effects of Long COVID: The EU Funded Project BRAINN 1604

Corresponding Presenter(s)

• 

  Fofi Constantinidou, PhD, CCC-SLP, CBIS (she/her/hers)

  Professor of Psychology & Director, Center for Applied Neuroscience
  University of Cyprus
  Nicosia, Nicosia, Cyprus

Presenter(s)

• 

  Eva Pettemeridou, PhD (she/her/hers)

  Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychology
  University of Limassol
  Nicosia, Nicosia, Cyprus

Non-Presenting Contributor(s)

• MC

  Maria Constantinou, PhD

  Postdoctoral Researcher
  Center for Applied Neuroscience, University of Cyprus
  Nicosia, Nicosia, Cyprus

  Slides

Presenter(s)

• 

  Kalia Lofitou, MSc (she/her/hers)

  Doctoral Student
  University of Cyprus
  Limassol, Limassol, Cyprus

Non-Presenting Contributor(s)

• 

  Jelena Trajkovic

  Researcher
  University of Maastricht
  Maastricht, Limburg, Netherlands
• 

  Stefanie De Smet (she/her/hers)

  PhD researcher
  Ghent University
  Ghent, Oost-Vlaanderen, Belgium
• JB

  Jeannette Boschma

  Research Assistant
  Maastricht University
  Maastricht, Limburg, Netherlands

Patients with Long COVID experience neuropsychological problems which persist for months (or even years) after the acute phase of COVID-19. The Brain Research and Integrative Neuroscience Network for COVID-19 (BRAINN), funded by the European Union’s Horizon Europe program, has formed a partnership between four European countries (Cyprus, Belgium, Netherlands, and United Kingdom) and developed an innovative applied neuroscience approach to characterize the effects of COVID-19 on mental and cognitive health and elevate the standards of assessment and treatment of the neuropsychological symptoms of Long COVID. A key component of BRAINN is the harmonization of neuroimaging and neuropsychological assessment protocols to address the multi-national and multi-linguistic needs of the project. In this symposium, we will present these harmonization efforts, results from a systematic review of cognitive rehabilitation studies and the methodology of BRAINN’s feasibility study integrating non-invasive brain stimulation with hierarchical cognitive rehabilitation to manage the neuropsychological deficits of Long COVID.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe how the BRAINN project capitalizes on advances in neuroscience research to inform the characterization and management of acquired brain conditions, including precision or person-centered rehabilitation.
• Gain knowledge on the rationale and harmonization procedure for the development of the BRAINN assessment platform, which is designed to assess neuropsychological abilities relevant to Long COVID or post COVID condition.
• Explain how non-invasive brain stimulation and neuropsychological interventions can be combined to maximize neurorehabilitation efforts in patients with Long COVID or post COVID condition.
• Describe how the BRAINN project capitalizes on advances in neuroscience research to inform the characterization and management of acquired brain conditions, including precision or person-centered rehabilitation.