Post-COVID AIB
Assessment and treatment of long-term neurological sequelae of COVID disease
Background
Severe Covid-19 can lead to persistent motor, cognitive, and psychological impairments. These symptoms are collectively referred to as post-COVID (also known as long-COVID). To date, there remains a lack of research on effective therapeutic approaches for post-COVID.
Objective
An interdisciplinary therapy offer for patients with post-COVID disease will be developed and evaluated for feasibility and effectiveness within a pilot study. In addition, the supplementary care of the patients will be tested using Caspar software. The overall goal is to establish the developed intervention as a model for post-COVID treatment.
Methods
This is a monocentric single-arm study with a waiting group design at the Schön Klinik Bad Aibling. A total of 48 subjects will be recruited.
The project period extends over two years including a follow-up period of six months after the end of the intervention. The study participants will receive a two-week multimodal intervention consisting of individual and group therapy in the areas of physiotherapy and ergotherapy as well as neuropsychology, relaxation techniques, endurance training and relaxation treatments.
Patients will be surveyed at six measurement points: two weeks before therapy, at baseline, at the end of therapy, two weeks after therapy, and additionally two and six months after therapy. The primary outcome parameters are the program feasibility, including patient satisfaction, and health-related quality of life (EQ-5D-5L). Secondary outcome parameters include general disability, participation, fatigue (FFS), cognition (MoCA), balance ability (Berg Balance Scale) and endurance (6-minute walking test).
Follow-up care is provided using the software from Caspar Health. Patients are followed up for two months after the inpatient therapeutic intervention at the Schön Klinik Bad Aibling with an individually tailored training program consisting of breathing, strength, balance and endurance exercises.
Results
Short-term results are expected in Q4 2023.
Conclusion and outlook
Within the studies, participants will have access to an innovative digital COVID rehabilitation program. Especially against the background of a large number of post-COVID patients and hardly existing treatment approaches, the study promises a high potential benefit for the participants.
Literature: Registered in the german clinical trials register - DRKS-ID of the study: DRKS00029415
