Spatial-visual memory disturbances after SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 experience

After the SARS-CoV-2 infection and the COVID-19 experience, post-Covid syndrome, including cases of PANDAS syndrome, have emerged. Many of these individuals are found to have spatial-visual memory impairment. The aim of this study was to describe spatial-visual memory disturbances in a 14-year-old girl following SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 survival.A 14-year-old, right-handed girl, a grade 8 primary school student, previously healthy, became infected with SARS-CoV-2 in December 2023 and contracted COVID-19, diagnosed symptomatically (virus unidentified). In addition to the symptoms typical of COVID-19, she exhibited symptoms typical of tonsillitis, such as swelling, plaque on the tonsils, and sore throat (streptococcal infection identified). The illness lasted two weeks and was treated on an outpatient basis. Treatment included antipyretic, anti-inflammatory, and broad-spectrum antibiotics. Upon returning to school, she developed occasional loss of consciousness, 'brain fog' with disorientation, chronic fatigue, and spatial-visual memory disturbances. These disorders significantly impacted her daily life. The girl was referred to the Department of Paediatrics at the University Hospital in Kraków for diagnostic testing, where a diagnosis of PANDAS syndrome was made. She was then referred for further neuropsychological examination to diagnose spatial-visual memory disorders. The neuropsychological study involved observation, clinical interview, documentation analysis, and test sets to assess spatial-visual memory impairment. The Visual-Motor Gestalt Test (Bender, 1998), Benton's Visual Memory Test (Talarowska et al., 2011), and the Clock Drawing Test (Pontin & Giovannini, 2004) were used. The girl was found to have spatial-visual memory disorder in both methods. Appropriate further treatment and rehabilitation were undertaken.The study confirmed the potential effect of COVID-19 on the development of PANDAS syndrome with new onset. It also confirmed that visuospatial dysfunction may be present in this syndrome, which is associated with a decrease in the child's level of functioning in everyday life.