Cognitive Health and Dementia Care During COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic has exerted profound effects on cognitive health and the delivery of care for people living with dementia. Public health restrictions disrupted routines, reduced social interaction and physical activity, and limited access to diagnostic and therapeutic services. These changes have been associated with declines in executive function, working memory and overall quality of life, particularly among those with mild cognitive impairment or established dementia. Care pathways were reconfigured to minimise viral transmission, leading to rapid adoption of telehealth and remote support, but also to unintended increases in caregiver burden and neuropsychiatric symptoms. Service closures and restricted family involvement heightened social isolation, precipitating anxiety, apathy and agitation in many older adults. At the same time, innovative digital programmes, community-based interventions and targeted public health measures have been developed to mitigate risk factors for cognitive decline. The global scale of these challenges has underscored the need for resilient care models that balance infection control with psychosocial support, promote equitable access to technology, and safeguard the mental well-being of both people with dementia and their informal carers.

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Cognitive Health and Dementia Care During COVID-19 publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in cognitive health and dementia care during covid-19 across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Executive function: High-level cognitive processes including planning, flexibility and inhibitory control that are vulnerable to stress and social isolation.

Working memory: The capacity to hold and manipulate information over short periods, often measured in digital neuropsychological tests.

Mild cognitive impairment: A clinical condition characterised by measurable cognitive decline without significant impact on daily functioning, often a precursor to dementia.

Telehealth: The delivery of health and social care services via digital communication technologies to reduce infection risk and maintain continuity of care.

Quality of life: A multidimensional measure encompassing physical health, psychological state, level of independence, social relationships and personal beliefs.

References

1. Cognitive decline in older adults in the UK during and after the COVID-19 pandemic: a longitudinal analysis of PROTECT study data. The Lancet Healthy Longevity (2023).
2. The Use of Telehealth Among People Living With Dementia-Caregiver Dyads During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Scoping Review. Journal of Medical Internet Research (2023).
3. Long-term impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the quality of life of people with dementia and their family carers. Age and Ageing (2024).