rTMS for post-covid-19 condition: A sham-controlled case series involving iTBS-300 and iTBS-600

Post-Covid-19 Condition (PCC) is a syndrome comprised of symptoms persisting 3 months or more beyond SARS-CoV-2 primary infection. It is typically characterized by fatigue, cognitive problems and psychiatric symptoms, as well as cardiac symptoms that contribute to exercise intolerance in many. Despi...

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Main Authors: Mohammad Nazmus Sakib, Ashish Saragadam, Mariella C. Santagata, Marie Jolicoeur-Becotte, Lena Kozyr, Amer M. Burhan, Peter A. Hall
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2024-03-01
Series:Brain, Behavior, & Immunity - Health
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666354624000140
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author Mohammad Nazmus Sakib
Ashish Saragadam
Mariella C. Santagata
Marie Jolicoeur-Becotte
Lena Kozyr
Amer M. Burhan
Peter A. Hall
author_facet Mohammad Nazmus Sakib
Ashish Saragadam
Mariella C. Santagata
Marie Jolicoeur-Becotte
Lena Kozyr
Amer M. Burhan
Peter A. Hall
author_sort Mohammad Nazmus Sakib
collection DOAJ
description Post-Covid-19 Condition (PCC) is a syndrome comprised of symptoms persisting 3 months or more beyond SARS-CoV-2 primary infection. It is typically characterized by fatigue, cognitive problems and psychiatric symptoms, as well as cardiac symptoms that contribute to exercise intolerance in many. Despite the high prevalence of PCC among those with a prior SARS-CoV-2 infection, there is currently no widely accepted rehabilitation strategy, and many conventional modalities are movement-based. Non-invasive brain stimulation methods such as repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) may have some potential to alleviate the cognitive and affective symptoms of PCC without reliance on exercise. The purpose of the present study was to explore the feasibility and tolerability of using rTMS to treat symptoms of “brain fog” and affective disturbance among those living with PCC, using a case series design. We enrolled four individuals with PCC following a confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection, at least 3 months after the resolution of the primary infection. Participants were randomized to 4 sessions of active and 2 sessions of sham intermittent theta-burst stimulation (iTBS); two intensities of iTBS were evaluated: iTBS-300 and iTBS-600. No adverse events occurred in active or sham stimulation; 2 participants reported tingling sensation on the scalp but no other tolerability issues. Trends in symptoms suggested improvements in cognitive interference, quality of life, and anxiety in the majority of participants. In summary, in this case series iTBS was well tolerated among 4 individuals with PCC; active stimulation was associated with positive trends in some primary symptom clusters as compared with sham stimulation. Future studies should examine the effects of iTBS on PCC symptoms in the context of experimental studies and randomized controlled trials.
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spelling doaj.art-5fa26caff65241cca4165eb67e7892f22024-03-07T05:30:21ZengElsevierBrain, Behavior, & Immunity - Health2666-35462024-03-0136100736rTMS for post-covid-19 condition: A sham-controlled case series involving iTBS-300 and iTBS-600Mohammad Nazmus Sakib0Ashish Saragadam1Mariella C. Santagata2Marie Jolicoeur-Becotte3Lena Kozyr4Amer M. Burhan5Peter A. Hall6School of Public Health Sciences, Faculty of Health, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, CanadaSchool of Public Health Sciences, Faculty of Health, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, CanadaSchool of Public Health Sciences, Faculty of Health, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, CanadaSchool of Public Health Sciences, Faculty of Health, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, CanadaSchool of Public Health Sciences, Faculty of Health, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, CanadaOntario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences, Whitby, Canada; Department of Psychiatry, University of Toronto, Toronto, CanadaSchool of Public Health Sciences, Faculty of Health, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada; Centre for Bioengineering and Biotechnology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada; Corresponding author. School of Public Health Sciences, Faculty of Health, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1, Canada.Post-Covid-19 Condition (PCC) is a syndrome comprised of symptoms persisting 3 months or more beyond SARS-CoV-2 primary infection. It is typically characterized by fatigue, cognitive problems and psychiatric symptoms, as well as cardiac symptoms that contribute to exercise intolerance in many. Despite the high prevalence of PCC among those with a prior SARS-CoV-2 infection, there is currently no widely accepted rehabilitation strategy, and many conventional modalities are movement-based. Non-invasive brain stimulation methods such as repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) may have some potential to alleviate the cognitive and affective symptoms of PCC without reliance on exercise. The purpose of the present study was to explore the feasibility and tolerability of using rTMS to treat symptoms of “brain fog” and affective disturbance among those living with PCC, using a case series design. We enrolled four individuals with PCC following a confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection, at least 3 months after the resolution of the primary infection. Participants were randomized to 4 sessions of active and 2 sessions of sham intermittent theta-burst stimulation (iTBS); two intensities of iTBS were evaluated: iTBS-300 and iTBS-600. No adverse events occurred in active or sham stimulation; 2 participants reported tingling sensation on the scalp but no other tolerability issues. Trends in symptoms suggested improvements in cognitive interference, quality of life, and anxiety in the majority of participants. In summary, in this case series iTBS was well tolerated among 4 individuals with PCC; active stimulation was associated with positive trends in some primary symptom clusters as compared with sham stimulation. Future studies should examine the effects of iTBS on PCC symptoms in the context of experimental studies and randomized controlled trials.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666354624000140Long-COVIDPCCrTMSCOVID-19Brain stimulationCase series
spellingShingle Mohammad Nazmus Sakib
Ashish Saragadam
Mariella C. Santagata
Marie Jolicoeur-Becotte
Lena Kozyr
Amer M. Burhan
Peter A. Hall
rTMS for post-covid-19 condition: A sham-controlled case series involving iTBS-300 and iTBS-600
Brain, Behavior, & Immunity - Health
Long-COVID
PCC
rTMS
COVID-19
Brain stimulation
Case series
title rTMS for post-covid-19 condition: A sham-controlled case series involving iTBS-300 and iTBS-600
title_full rTMS for post-covid-19 condition: A sham-controlled case series involving iTBS-300 and iTBS-600
title_fullStr rTMS for post-covid-19 condition: A sham-controlled case series involving iTBS-300 and iTBS-600
title_full_unstemmed rTMS for post-covid-19 condition: A sham-controlled case series involving iTBS-300 and iTBS-600
title_short rTMS for post-covid-19 condition: A sham-controlled case series involving iTBS-300 and iTBS-600
title_sort rtms for post covid 19 condition a sham controlled case series involving itbs 300 and itbs 600
topic Long-COVID
PCC
rTMS
COVID-19
Brain stimulation
Case series
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666354624000140
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