Psychological Stress and Cognitive Function in COVID-19 Induced Telogen Effluvium Patients

The study examined the psychological stress and cognitive function parameters in 32 patients suffering from COVID-19 induced Telogen effluvium (TE), a common form of hair loss, and compared them to 32 patients who had COVID-19 but did not develop TE. The results showed significant differences in cognitive functioning (p=0.008) between the two groups, with those suffering from COVID-19 induced TE experiencing greater cognitive deficits. There was also a borderline difference in the severity of anxiety symptoms (p=0.088). Furthermore, a strong positive correlation was found between the deterioration of cognitive functioning and the severity of symptoms of depression (p<0.001), anxiety (p<0.001), and stress (p<0.001). This suggests that TE in COVID-19 patients could be an indicator of cognitive decline, which is associated with increased symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress.