What is Long-Covid with Neurological Symptoms?
Mild or moderate COVID-19 usually lasts about two weeks or less for most people. But others experience lingering health problems even when they have recovered from a non-serious initial phase of the illness. In these people, there is no longer an active COVID-19 infection in the sense of a viral load that can be detected or a risk of transmission to others. But, they still experience ongoing symptoms, often debilitating one.
The problem goes by several names. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) terms this long-term COVID-19 symptoms as “post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2” or “PASC” for short. People suffering from these post-COVID symptoms are sometimes known as “long haulers.”
Some individuals develop symptoms following COVID infection that are brain function related. People may report, including:
- Brain fog
- Fatigue
- Headaches
- Depression
- Pain
- Anxiety
- Sleeping disorders
- General trouble focusing (brain fog)
- Cognitive fatigue
- Dizziness
In some cases, these symptoms resolve on their own with time, or can be treated. But for many people, the symptoms persist and are not easily treatable. This is sometimes also called “Neuro-Covid”.
Scientists now know that even healthy people with mild cases of COVID-19 can battle a constellation of symptoms that appear and even worsen over time, or even sometimes disappear only to come back. These symptoms are all part of what’s called “Long COVID Syndrome.”
Non-invasive Neuromodulation as a potential non-drug treatment for Long-Covid Neurological Symptoms?
Neuromodec previously reviewed Neuromodulation applications for COVID-19 disorders which includes uses in the acute and long-term stages. But with the growing and evolving situation with COVID Long-Haulers reporting trouble focusing, cognitive fatigue and other issues, Neuromodec will provide ongoing updates on research and development of drug-free non-invasive neuromodulation options for long-COVID.
Neuromodulation for Long-COVID
There is an unmet need to better understand and develop treatments for Long-COVID -formally called Post-Acute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 Infection (PASC). PASC can be defined by persisting symptoms (>1 month) following COVID-19 illness. PASC is prevalent affecting up to 20% of survivors, often with debilitating symptoms. But who is suspectable to PASC and what causes is remains to determined. While PASC symptom vary between individuals and can appear as a constellation of symptoms, its impairment of brain functions define is core syndrome. Central fatigue, and cognitive dysfunction, (called “brain fog”) are the most commonly reported symptoms, and often disable otherwise healthy individuals (i.e., preventing people from the return to school, work, or other daily activities). Given the prevalence of PASC and its long last and debilitating nature, there is an urgent need to develop treatments – even as question on how PASC develops are researched.
Neuromodulation, also called brain stimulation, includes a range of medical devices that apply energy to the body for therapeutic purposes. Most commonly this involves application of electrical stimulation to the brain or nerves. Some neuromodulation devices are implanted, like pacemakers for the brain. Others require repeated visits to medical centers. Still others are battery powered and can be used at home. Because neuromodulation devices can exert powerful therapeutic effects on the nervous systems and because in non-COVID patient’s neuromodulation treatments may of the same symptoms reported in Long-COVID, medical researchers are anxious to test neuromodulation for Long-COVID.
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