Oliver-Mas Silvia, Matias-Guiu Jordi A, Delgado-Alonso Cristina, Gil-Martínez Lidia, Cuevas Constanza, Polidura Carmen, Fernández-Romero Lucía, Matias-Guiu Andreu, Gómez-Ruiz Natividad, Gil-Moreno María José, Yus-Fuertes Miguel, Matias-Guiu Jorge, Diez-Cirarda Maria
Department of Neurology, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, "San Carlos" Health Research Institute (IdISCC), Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
Department of Radiology, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, San Carlos Health Research Institute (IdISCC), Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Madrid, Spain.
Sci Rep. 2025 Jul 23;15(1):26818. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-09772-8.
Fatigue and cognitive deficits are common and disabling symptoms in patients experiencing post-COVID condition. This randomized parallel study aimed to evaluate the effects of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) over the primary motor cortex combined with cognitive training (M1 + CT), compared to tDCS over the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex with cognitive training (DLPFC + CT), on fatigue, cognition, and other clinical symptoms in post-COVID. Sixty-three patients completed the treatment (n = 32 in the M1 + CT group and n = 31 in the DLPFC + CT group) with a mean age of 47 years and an average symptom duration of 32 months. Both groups underwent comprehensive neuropsychological and clinical evaluations, including ecological momentary assessments of fatigue, at baseline, post-treatment, and one-month follow-up. The Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS) was used as the primary endpoint. Patients were randomly assigned to the M1 + CT or DLPFC + CT groups and received 15 sessions of tDCS administered concurrently with adaptive CT. The M1 + CT group showed a slightly higher efficacy in reducing fatigue and improving sleep quality than the DLPFC + CT group. Both groups demonstrated significant improvements in cognition, anxiety, depression, pain, and sleep quality. These improvements were sustained over time. These findings indicate that tDCS combined with cognitive training is a feasible, safe, and effective approach for reducing fatigue and enhancing cognition in post-COVID patients. The results highlight the potential of brain stimulation and cognitive training to alleviate fatigue and cognitive impairment in post-COVID, warranting further confirmation through additional randomized controlled trials.Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05753202.
疲劳和认知缺陷是新冠康复患者常见的致残症状。这项随机平行研究旨在评估经颅直流电刺激(tDCS)作用于初级运动皮层并结合认知训练(M1+CT),与经颅直流电刺激作用于背外侧前额叶皮层并结合认知训练(DLPFC+CT)相比,对新冠康复患者的疲劳、认知及其他临床症状的影响。63名患者完成了治疗(M1+CT组32例,DLPFC+CT组31例),平均年龄47岁,平均症状持续时间32个月。两组在基线、治疗后及1个月随访时均接受了全面的神经心理学和临床评估,包括疲劳的生态瞬时评估。疲劳严重程度量表(FSS)被用作主要终点。患者被随机分配到M1+CT组或DLPFC+CT组,并接受15次与适应性认知训练同时进行的tDCS治疗。M1+CT组在减轻疲劳和改善睡眠质量方面的疗效略高于DLPFC+CT组。两组在认知、焦虑、抑郁、疼痛和睡眠质量方面均有显著改善。这些改善随着时间的推移得以持续。这些发现表明,tDCS联合认知训练是减轻新冠康复患者疲劳和增强认知的一种可行、安全且有效的方法。结果凸显了脑刺激和认知训练在减轻新冠康复患者疲劳和认知障碍方面的潜力,需要通过更多随机对照试验进行进一步证实。试验注册:ClinicalTrials.gov NCT05753202。
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