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. 2022 Sep 18;25:100513. doi: 10.1016/j.bbih.2022.100513

Table 2.

Results of neuropsychological tests and self-report questionnaires.

Full study sample (n = 96) No anti-inflammatory treatment (n = 28) Dexamethasone (n = 26) Dexamethasone and tocilizumab (n = 42) p-value
Neuropsychological tests
MoCA raw score, median [IQR] 26 [24–27] 26 [25–28] 25 [24–27] 26 [24–27] p = 0.44
MoCA T-score, mean (SD) 50.5 (9.3) 52.8 (9.4) 48.7 (9.3) 50.1 (9.3) p = 0.26
TMT-A T- score, mean (SD) 48.1 (14.1) 45.1 (13.0) 44.7 (14.6) 52.2 (13.8) p = 0.042§
TMT-B T-score, mean (SD) 46.3 (11.2) 47.0 (10.1) 46.3 (11.5) 42.6 (14.5) p = 0.35
TMT-B/A T- score, mean (SD) 46.3 (11.6) 49.1 (9.3)‡ 45.1 (12.8) 40.3 (13.5)* p = 0.007
Digit Span T- score, mean (SD) 46.5 (10.9) 49.5 (9.2) 45.4 (8.9) 45.2 (12.7) p = 0.23
LDST T-score, mean (SD) 45.0 (11.2) 41.3 (12.0) 45.0 (9.2) 47.5 (11.4) p = 0.075
Overall T-score, mean (SD) 47.0 (7.5) 47.6 (6.2) 46.2 (6.8) 47.1 (8.7) p = 0.81
Weighted test results
MoCA, n (%)
  • -

    Unimpaired

 85 (88.5) 26 (92.9) 23 (88.5) 36 (85.7) p = 0.90
  • -

    Below average

 6 (6.3) 1 (3.6) 2 (7.7) 3 (7.1)
  • -

    Impaired

 5 (5.2) 1 (3.6) 1 (3.8) 3 (7.1)
TMT-A, n (%)
  • -

    Unimpaired

 67 (69.8) 19 (67.9) 15 (57.7) 33 (78.6) p = 0.44
  • -

    Below average

 15 (15.6) 5 (17.9) 5 (19.2) 5 (11.9)
  • -

    Impaired

 14 (14.6) 4 (14.3) 6 (23.1) 4 (9.5)
TMT-B, n (%)
  • -

    Unimpaired

 66 (68.8) 21 (75.0) 19 (73.1) 26 (61.9) p = 0.55
  • -

    Below average

 8 (8.3) 3 (10.7) 2 (7.7) 3 (7.1)
  • -

    Impaired

 22 (22.9) 4 (14.3) 5 (19.2) 13 (31.0)
TMT-B/A, n (%)
  • -

    Unimpaired

 64 (66.7) 22 (78.6) 20 (76.9) 22 (52.4) p = 0.058
  • -

    Below average

 12 (12.5) 4 (14.3) 1 (3.8) 7 (16.7)
  • -

    Impaired

 20 (20.8) 2 (7.1) 5 (19.2) 13 (31.0)
Digit Span, n (%)
  • -

    Unimpaired

 68 (70.8) 24 (85.7) 19 (73.1) 25 (59.5) p = 0.11
  • -

    Below average

 11 (11.5) 2 (7.1) 4 (15.4) 5 (11.9)
  • -

    Impaired

 17 (17.7) 2 (7.1) 3 (11.5) 12 (28.6)
LDST, n (%)
  • -

    Unimpaired

 65 (67.7) 15 (53.6) 20 (76.9) 30 (71.4) p = 0.16
  • -

    Below average

 9 (9.4) 2 (7.1) 3 (11.5) 4 (9.5)
  • -

    Impaired

 22 (22.9) 11 (39.3) 3 (11.5) 8 (19.0)
Dichotomized cognitive outcome, n (%)
  • -

    Unimpaired

 70 (72.9) 23 (82.1) 19 (73.1) 28 (66.7) p = 0.36
  • -

    Cognitively impaired

 26 (27.1) 5 (17.9) 7 (26.9) 14 (33.3)
Self-reporting Questionnaires
CFQ total, mean (SD) 33.0 (15.2) 32.4 (14.1) 36.2 (15.2) 31.3 (16.2) p = 0.44
CFS, median [IQR] 3 [2–4] 3 [2–5] 3 [2–4] 3 [2–4] p = 0.82
HADS, median [IQR]
  • -

    Total score

 8 [4–15] 8 [4–16] 8 [6–15] 8 [4–15] p = 0.91
  • -

    Anxiety score

 4 [2–8] 4 [2–8] 4 [3–8] 3 [2–7] p = 0.56
  • -

    Depressive score

 4 [2–7] 3 [2–7] 3 [2–7] 4 [2–7] p = 0.87
SF-12, median [IQR]
  • -

    Physical T-score

 38.0 [31.0–46.8] 38.0 [34.2–42.1] 37.0 [30.2–47.0] 39.8 [26.7–49.4] p = 0.65
  • -

    Mental T-score

 52.0 [41.3–57.8] 53.5 [41.1–59.4] 51.7 [41.1–57.0] 51.6 [42.0–57.8] p = 0.46
BSI (GSI) T-score, median [IQR] 49.7 [37.6–59.9] 48.7 [35.2–59.9] 54.1 [44.0–61.7] 47.1 [37.6–59.6] p = 0.43

All individual cognitive test results were corrected for age, sex and education, using normative data of a healthy Dutch control population. Significant p-values of between-group differences, were followed by Bonferroni-corrected post-hoc analyses. *p ≤ 0.05 vs no anti-inflammatory treatment group; †p ≤ 0.05 vs dexamethasone group; ‡p ≤ 0.05 vs tocilizumab and dexamethasone group; § post hoc analysis showed no statistically significant differences between any of the groups.

Weighted test results: unimpaired: T-score >40 (>−1 SD); below average: T-score 35–40 (−1.5 to −1 SD); impaired: T-score <40 (<−1.5 SD). Dichotomization: a patient scored “cognitively impaired” when he/she had a weighted score of impaired on two or more tests. Abbreviations: MoCA, Montreal Cognitive Assessment; TMT, Trail Making Test; Digit Span, Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-IV Digit Span test; LDST, Letter Digit Substitution Test. CFQ, Cognitive Failure Questionnaire; CFS, Clinical Frailty Scale; HADS, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale; SF-12, Short Form Health Survey-12; BSI, Brief Symptom Inventory; GSI, Global Severity Index.