Zheng Zhong Sheng, Simonian Ninette, Wang Jing, Rosario Emily R
Research Institute, Casa Colina Hospital and Centers for Healthcare, Pomona, CA, United States.
Institute of Advanced Consciousness Studies, Santa Monica, CA, United States.
Front Neurol. 2024 May 2;15:1393371. doi: 10.3389/fneur.2024.1393371. eCollection 2024.
BACKGROUND: Long COVID, also known as Post-COVID-19 syndrome, is characterized by multisystemic symptoms that persists for weeks to years beyond acute infection. It disproportionately affects women and those with pre-existing anxiety/depression, conditions more prevalent in females. The vagus nerve, with its extensive innervation and regulation of critical bodily functions, has become a focal point for therapeutic interventions. Transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (t-VNS) has emerged as a promising non-invasive treatment for COVID-19 conditions. METHODS: This pilot study assessed the efficacy of t-VNS in 24 female Long COVID patients (45.8 ± 11.7 years old; 20.2 ± 7.1 months since infection), who underwent a 10-day t-VNS intervention at home (30 min/session, twice a day). Cognition was considered the primary outcome, with anxiety, depression, sleep, fatigue, and smell as secondary outcomes. Outcomes were measured at baseline, post-intervention, and 1-month follow-up. RESULTS: Significant improvements were observed in various cognitive functions, anxiety, depression, and sleep at post-intervention, with benefits remaining or progressing at 1-month follow-up. Improvements in fatigue were delayed, reaching statistical significance at 1-month follow-up compared to baseline. No significant changes were noted in olfactory performance. CONCLUSION: This pilot study provides preliminary evidence supporting the potential of t-VNS as a therapeutic intervention for female Long COVID patients. The encouraging results justify further rigorous investigation through larger, randomized controlled trials to confirm the efficacy of t-VNS, assess its generalizability to male cohorts, and explore biological markers to inform personalized treatment approaches. Our findings support the allocation of resources to conduct such trials and advance the understanding of t-VNS as a potential treatment for Long COVID.
背景:长期新冠,也称为新冠后综合征,其特征是多系统症状在急性感染后持续数周甚至数年。女性以及先前患有焦虑/抑郁症(这些情况在女性中更为普遍)的人群受其影响尤为严重。迷走神经因其广泛的神经支配和对关键身体功能的调节作用,已成为治疗干预的重点。经皮迷走神经刺激(t-VNS)已成为一种有前景的针对新冠相关病症的非侵入性治疗方法。 方法:这项初步研究评估了t-VNS对24名长期新冠女性患者(年龄45.8±11.7岁;感染后20.2±7.1个月)的疗效,这些患者在家中接受了为期10天的t-VNS干预(每次30分钟,每天两次)。认知被视为主要结局,焦虑、抑郁、睡眠、疲劳和嗅觉为次要结局。在基线、干预后和1个月随访时测量结局。 结果:干预后在各种认知功能、焦虑、抑郁和睡眠方面观察到显著改善,在1个月随访时这些益处得以维持或进一步改善。疲劳的改善出现延迟,与基线相比,在1个月随访时达到统计学显著性。嗅觉表现未观察到显著变化。 结论:这项初步研究提供了初步证据,支持t-VNS作为长期新冠女性患者治疗干预手段的潜力。这些令人鼓舞的结果证明有必要通过更大规模的随机对照试验进行进一步严格研究,以确认t-VNS的疗效,评估其对男性队列的适用性,并探索生物标志物以指导个性化治疗方法。我们的研究结果支持分配资源进行此类试验,并推进对t-VNS作为长期新冠潜在治疗方法的理解。
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