Neuropsychology Services for Long COVID
Cognitive difficulties or “brain fog” are among the most common and persistent symptoms reported by people with long COVID. Problems with memory, concentration, word-finding, and speed of processing can disrupt work, relationships, and daily life, often in ways that are invisible to others but deeply felt by those experiencing them.
The Neuropsychology Service within the Mount Sinai Long-COVID Care Center provides comprehensive evaluation and support for individuals experiencing cognitive changes following COVID-19. Led by Jacqueline Becker, PhD, a clinical neuropsychologist and researcher specializing in post-infectious cognitive impairment, our team brings together clinical expertise and innovative research to deliver care grounded in the latest science.
A Research-Informed Approach
Our clinical work is directly informed by our research. Dr. Becker serves as principal investigator and co-investigator of several long COVID research studies and clinical trials. She is the neurocognitive lead for the National Institutes of Health’s RECOVER initiative and its RECOVER-TLC clinical trials. This means our patients benefit from a team that is actively shaping the scientific understanding of how COVID-19 affects the brain, and what can be done about it.
Your Experience Is Real
It is also measurable and increasingly well-understood. A neuropsychological evaluation can validate what you have been feeling, identify specific areas of difficulty, rule out other contributing causes, and open the door to targeted support, including treatments built on the strongest evidence available.
What We Offer
Many patients come to us after being told that their scores on standard memory and thinking tests are "normal," despite struggling with brain fog, mental fatigue, and difficulty functioning at their previous level. The tests used in a standard evaluation were not built to catch the subtle, specific changes in thinking that long COVID can cause, so real problems are often missed.
Our service provides thorough neuropsychological evaluations, informed by the latest science and sensitive to the nuanced features of long COVID. We look at more than whether a score falls in the “normal” range. We also compare your results to how you most likely would have performed before long COVID, using specific tests and information such as your education, your job, and the demands of your daily life. For example, a score in the average range can still reflect a real change for someone with an advanced degree who used to have a high-performing job and manage various responsibilities.
Patients receive a personalized report with clear, actionable recommendations. These may include cognitive rehabilitation strategies (e.g., pacing plans, environmental modifications, and metacognitive strategies to control one’s own learning and thinking processes), workplace or academic accommodations, streamlined referrals to specialists, and guidance on evidence-based approaches to managing cognitive symptoms in daily life.
Our work also enables us to tease apart overlapping conditions, such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder, sleep disorders, mood disorders, early neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, and other post-infectious or neuroimmune conditions such as myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome and post-treatment Lyme disease syndrome to determine which conditions may be causing symptoms. This ensures that patients receive an accurate diagnosis and appropriately targeted care.
Cognitive Rehabilitation
Evaluation is only the beginning. Our service also provides a structured, 12-week cognitive rehabilitation program tailored to long COVID, integrating evidence-based approaches such as goal management training and fatigue management strategies to address attention, memory, and executive dysfunction (trouble with planning, organizing, and juggling more than one thing at a time), while simultaneously encouraging pacing, energy management, and mindfulness exercises to prevent over-exertion and “crashes.” The program is designed as virtual small group sessions that are delivered by a neuropsychologist via Zoom. Patients develop practical compensatory tools, build habits to manage cognitive fatigue, and set realistic goals for functional recovery.
Schedule an Appointment
To schedule an appointment or learn more, please contact 212-824-7527