Journal of clinical medicineAug 13, 2026

Brain-Related Symptoms and Daily Difficulties in Adults with Long COVID in Italy

Long Covid Weekly Brief ↗PubMed ↗DOI ↗OA ↗

Updated Aug 14, 2026

Abstract

A strong positive correlation (r = 0.703; p < 0.001) exists between NeuroCOVID burden and functional impairment among 250 Italian Long COVID survivors.

NeuroCOVID is associated with neurological, cognitive, neuropsychiatric, and autonomic symptoms that may affect daily functioning.
The study utilized a NeuroCOVID Burden Score derived from 10 symptom domains to measure the burden of these symptoms.
Functional impairment was assessed through a score reflecting limitations in daily activities.
Higher NeuroCOVID Burden Scores corresponded to greater limitations in daily activities.
Acute COVID-19 severity was also linked to functional impairment in the analysis.

Simplified

Background/Objectives: Long COVID is frequently characterized by neurological, cognitive, neuropsychiatric, and autonomic symptoms (NeuroCOVID). However, their impact on daily functioning remains insufficiently investigated. This study evaluated the association between NeuroCOVID burden and functional impairment among Italian Long COVID survivors. Methods: A secondary cross-sectional analysis was conducted on 250 adults using a validated Italian Long COVID questionnaire. A NeuroCOVID Burden Score (10 symptom domains) and a Functional Impairment Score (daily activities) were constructed and analyzed using correlation and multivariable linear regression. Results: The sample (mean age 33.2 years; 63.6% female) demonstrated high internal consistency for both scores. A strong positive correlation was found between NeuroCOVID burden and functional impairment (r = 0.703; p < 0.001). Conclusions: Persistent NeuroCOVID burden was strongly associated with greater limitations in daily activities. In multivariable regression, NeuroCOVID Burden Score remained independently associated with functional impairment (B = 0.671; 95% CI 0.566-0.776; p < 0.001), together with acute COVID-19 severity (B = 0.156; 95% CI 0.055-0.257; p = 0.003). The final model explained 52.5% of the variance in functional impairment (R² = 0.525).