Changes in sensitivity and hedonic rating to transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation following COVID-19
Abstract COVID-19 affects not only the respiratory system but also other biological systems such as the nervous system. Usually, these changes are reported based on the patient's subjective description. The aim of our study, therefore, was to objectively determine the effect that the SARS-CoV-2...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2024-01-01
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| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-51596-5 |
| _version_ | 1797355763384975360 |
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| author | Grzegorz Błażejewski Joanna Witkoś Magdalena Hartman-Petrycka |
| author_facet | Grzegorz Błażejewski Joanna Witkoś Magdalena Hartman-Petrycka |
| author_sort | Grzegorz Błażejewski |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract COVID-19 affects not only the respiratory system but also other biological systems such as the nervous system. Usually, these changes are reported based on the patient's subjective description. The aim of our study, therefore, was to objectively determine the effect that the SARS-CoV-2 virus and COVID-19 disease has on sensory threshold and the hedonic and subjective perception of an electrical stimulus. The sensory threshold was tested on the inner forearm by applying non-invasive transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) with 100 Hz and 100 µs parameters and a biphasic current waveform. The study involved 211 participants, aged 22–79 years, with a mean age of 56.9 ± 12.1 years. There were 131 subjects in the COVID group, while the NON-COVID group, the control group, was matched to the COVID group in terms of gender, age, body mass index and presence of chronic diseases. The research was carried out in 2022. Sensory sensitivity was highest in the group that had suffered with COVID-19. The median sensory sensitivity was 11 mA in the COVID group and 14 mA (p < 0.001) in the NON-COVID group, however, the current sensitivity threshold decreased over time (R = 0.52, p < 0.001). Post COVID-19, the electrical stimulus was more often perceived as unpleasant: COVID versus NON-COVID (23% vs. 3%, p < 0.001) and as a different sensation to tingling (27% vs. 2%, p < 0.001). Post-COVID-19 patients have a lower sensory threshold, the electrical stimulus is more often described as unpleasant and in subjective feelings it is more often described as pinching. The differences between COVID and NON-COVID decrease with time since the onset of COVID symptoms. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-08T14:15:45Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-056b47693c0447149d94cb94c70496ed |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-08T14:15:45Z |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-056b47693c0447149d94cb94c70496ed2024-01-14T12:23:44ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222024-01-0114111010.1038/s41598-024-51596-5Changes in sensitivity and hedonic rating to transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation following COVID-19Grzegorz Błażejewski0Joanna Witkoś1Magdalena Hartman-Petrycka2Faculty of Medicine and Health Science, Andrzej Frycz Modrzewski Krakow UniversityFaculty of Medicine and Health Science, Andrzej Frycz Modrzewski Krakow UniversityDepartment of Basic Biomedical Science, Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences in Sosnowiec, Medical University of SilesiaAbstract COVID-19 affects not only the respiratory system but also other biological systems such as the nervous system. Usually, these changes are reported based on the patient's subjective description. The aim of our study, therefore, was to objectively determine the effect that the SARS-CoV-2 virus and COVID-19 disease has on sensory threshold and the hedonic and subjective perception of an electrical stimulus. The sensory threshold was tested on the inner forearm by applying non-invasive transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) with 100 Hz and 100 µs parameters and a biphasic current waveform. The study involved 211 participants, aged 22–79 years, with a mean age of 56.9 ± 12.1 years. There were 131 subjects in the COVID group, while the NON-COVID group, the control group, was matched to the COVID group in terms of gender, age, body mass index and presence of chronic diseases. The research was carried out in 2022. Sensory sensitivity was highest in the group that had suffered with COVID-19. The median sensory sensitivity was 11 mA in the COVID group and 14 mA (p < 0.001) in the NON-COVID group, however, the current sensitivity threshold decreased over time (R = 0.52, p < 0.001). Post COVID-19, the electrical stimulus was more often perceived as unpleasant: COVID versus NON-COVID (23% vs. 3%, p < 0.001) and as a different sensation to tingling (27% vs. 2%, p < 0.001). Post-COVID-19 patients have a lower sensory threshold, the electrical stimulus is more often described as unpleasant and in subjective feelings it is more often described as pinching. The differences between COVID and NON-COVID decrease with time since the onset of COVID symptoms.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-51596-5 |
| spellingShingle | Grzegorz Błażejewski Joanna Witkoś Magdalena Hartman-Petrycka Changes in sensitivity and hedonic rating to transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation following COVID-19 Scientific Reports |
| title | Changes in sensitivity and hedonic rating to transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation following COVID-19 |
| title_full | Changes in sensitivity and hedonic rating to transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation following COVID-19 |
| title_fullStr | Changes in sensitivity and hedonic rating to transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation following COVID-19 |
| title_full_unstemmed | Changes in sensitivity and hedonic rating to transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation following COVID-19 |
| title_short | Changes in sensitivity and hedonic rating to transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation following COVID-19 |
| title_sort | changes in sensitivity and hedonic rating to transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation following covid 19 |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-51596-5 |
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