The MQ Foundation is pleased to announce that our partner organization, MQ Mental Health Research (MQ) has been awarded $690,000 from the Wolfson Foundation to conduct research on the causes of COVID-induced cognitive decline. This is the first phase of a two-part study. The second phase will focus on developing and testing treatments.
The study is being led by Dr. Maxime Taquet, a Harvard Medical School research fellow, based at the University of Oxford in the UK. It is expected to take nine months to complete phase one, with MQ publishing its findings later this year and will build on the success and findings of two other MQ studies: the PHOSP-COVID study and the COVID-CNS study, which have already gathered more than twelve months of research data from over 2000 people with Long COVID.
Paul Ramsbottom, Chief Executive of the Wolfson Foundation said the following about the Foundation’s partnership with MQ:
“The long-term impact of the COVID-19 infection is poorly understood. It is, however, sadly clear that the long-term health effects will be profound - and be felt in societies across the globe. Wolfson has a longstanding interest in the research and treatment of neurological conditions, and we are very pleased to be supporting MQ and their research partners in this crucial work.”
People who have contracted Long COVID experience a range of symptoms, which can vary in severity and include extreme tiredness, shortness of breath, changes to taste and smell, chronic pain, and problems with memory and concentration. MQ’s new study aims to find an effective intervention for cognitive decline which is sometimes referred to as ‘brain fog’ or cognitive impairment.
Little is yet known about COVID induced cognitive decline other than how widespread it is. A study in the UK found that around 7% of people who have been hospitalized with COVID were still experiencing substantial cognitive impairment at 12 months. Up to 12% of people who are infected with COVID-19 go on to contract Long-COVID. Considering there have been nearly 300 million cases of COVID worldwide, the impact of ongoing cognitive impairment globally could be huge.
“Research is making clear the prevalence and impact to individuals of Long COVID,” Noted the CEO of MQ Mental Health Research, Lea Milligan.
“What is not yet clear is the mechanisms in the brain that cause this cognitive decline. This study is aiming to not only identify these mechanisms but also identify effective interventions for them. We are grateful to the Wolfson Foundation for their support and partnership.”
The MQ Foundation is seeking investors to support the second phase of this project aimed at developing and testing treatments for Covid-induced cognitive decline.
About the MQ Foundation
The MQ Foundation launched in 2018 by its founder and chairman, and noted philanthropist John Herrmann, a long-time leader of mental health charities in New York. The mission of the Foundation is closely aligned with that of the preeminent UK-based organization, MQ Mental Health Research, working to transform mental health through research.
For questions about the MQ Foundation and the cognitive impairment study, please contact Ann Richman, MQ Foundation Executive Director at 347.203.9207 or [email protected].
