Online cognitive training for people with cognitive impairment following SARS-CoV-2 infection: A randomised controlled clinical trial

Aims: We will conduct a clinical trial to see if playing brain training games helps people who have developed memory problems following infection with Covid-19. Background: The Covid-19 pandemic has dominated our lives for the last two years. Vaccination and better treatments mean that severe infections and deaths are slowing down. However, cases of Covid-19 are still high and many people have longer term problems after they have recovered. This is called Long-Covid. Large numbers of people with Long-Covid experience problems with their brain health, such as memory problems and finding it difficult to pay attention. These symptoms could stop people getting back to work and socialising. They could even increase the risk of developing dementia later in life so it is important that we find a way to treat them. Long-Covid is affecting very large numbers of people so we need to find a treatment that works, is cheap and can be easily given to everyone who needs it. Brain training games are a good option. Our games, ReaCT, have already been proven to improve brain health in adults over 60 but they have not yet been tested in people with Long-Covid. ReaCT games are online and can be played on an app or website free of charge. Design & Methods: This will be a six-month clinical trial of the ReaCT brain training games. We will test the games in 608 people over 40, and a further 1000 people over 18, who have Long Covid and who have problems with their memory. Participants will be recruited through their GPs, publicity, social media and through a UK research study called PROTECT-UK. Participants will download the ReaCT app and will be placed in one of two groups. The ReaCT group will play the brain training games, including games that test your problem-solving and planning skills. The other group will play a simple card-matching game. We will ask participants to complete assessments of their brain health, abilities to perform daily tasks, mood and tiredness. This will tell us whether the ReaCT games improve the health of people with Long Covid. Patient & Public Involvement: This project will be guided by a group of people who have had Covid-19. They will help us to design the information for participants and decide how best to recruit people. We will also work with the PROTECT-UK research study to test the brain training app and make sure it is working properly before we start the trial. Dissemination: We will publish and present our findings for the scientific community, use publicity and social media to communicate to the public and target messages to GPs. This will make sure our research results in real improvements in people s lives.