Corrêa Bruna Danielle Campelo, Santos Enzo Gabriel Rocha, Belgamo Anderson, Pinto Gustavo Henrique Lima, Xavier Stanley Soares, Silva Camilla Costa, Dias Ápio Ricardo Nazareth, Paranhos Alna Carolina Mendes, Cabral André Dos Santos, Callegari Bianca, Costa E Silva Anselmo de Athayde, Quaresma Juarez Antônio Simões, Falcão Luiz Fábio Magno, Souza Givago Silva
Núcleo de Teoria e Pesquisa do Comportamento, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, Brazil.
Instituto de Ciências e Exatas e Naturais, Universidade Federal do Pará, Belém, Brazil.
Front Neurol. 2023 Dec 11;14:1277408. doi: 10.3389/fneur.2023.1277408. eCollection 2023.
SARS-CoV-2 infection can lead to a variety of persistent sequelae, collectively known as long COVID-19. Deficits in postural balance have been reported in patients several months after COVID-19 infection. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the static balance and balance of individuals with long COVID-19 using inertial sensors in smartphones.
A total of 73 participants were included in this study, of which 41 had long COVID-19 and 32 served as controls. All participants in the long COVID-19 group reported physical complaints for at least 7 months after SARS-CoV-2 infection. Participants were evaluated using a built-in inertial sensor of a smartphone attached to the low back, which recorded inertial signals during a static balance and mobility task (timed up and go test). The parameters of static balance and mobility obtained from both groups were compared.
The groups were matched for age and BMI. Of the 41 participants in the long COVID-19 group, 22 reported balance impairment and 33 had impaired balance in the Sharpened Romberg test. Static balance assessment revealed that the long COVID-19 group had greater postural instability with both eyes open and closed than the control group. In the TUG test, the long COVID-19 group showed greater acceleration during the sit-to-stand transition compared to the control group.
The smartphone was feasible to identify losses in the balance motor control and mobility of patients with long-lasting symptomatic COVID-19 even after several months or years. Attention to the balance impairment experienced by these patients could help prevent falls and improve their quality of life, and the use of the smartphone can expand this monitoring for a broader population.
严重急性呼吸综合征冠状病毒2（SARS-CoV-2）感染可导致多种持续后遗症，统称为“长新冠”。据报道，新冠病毒感染数月后的患者存在姿势平衡缺陷。本研究的目的是使用智能手机中的惯性传感器评估“长新冠”患者的静态平衡和平衡能力。
本研究共纳入73名参与者，其中41名患有“长新冠”，32名作为对照。“长新冠”组的所有参与者在SARS-CoV-2感染后至少7个月报告有身体不适。使用安装在腰部的智能手机内置惯性传感器对参与者进行评估，该传感器在静态平衡和移动任务（计时起立行走测试）期间记录惯性信号。比较两组获得的静态平衡和移动参数。
两组在年龄和体重指数方面相匹配。在“长新冠”组的41名参与者中，22名报告有平衡障碍，33名在改良罗姆伯格试验中存在平衡受损。静态平衡评估显示，“长新冠”组在睁眼和闭眼时的姿势不稳定性均高于对照组。在计时起立行走测试中，“长新冠”组在从坐到站的转换过程中显示出比对照组更大的加速度。
即使在数月或数年之后，智能手机也能够识别有长期症状的新冠患者在平衡运动控制和移动能力方面的损伤。关注这些患者所经历的平衡障碍有助于预防跌倒并改善他们的生活质量，并且使用智能手机可以将这种监测扩展到更广泛的人群。
