Vagus Nerve Stimulation as Treatment for Long Covid

Purpose

Many patients do not recover following Covid infection. The resulting illness is called Long Covid. Because there is no agreed upon treatment for this ailment, the research team has decided to do an open label pilot study using non-invasive, transcutaneous stimulation of the auricular branch of the vagus nerve. Inclusion criteria required the patient to fulfill criteria for having chronic fatigue syndrome. To date, fourteen patients provided evaluable data. Eight of these fulfilled the study's requirements for treatment success.

Conditions

  • Long COVID
  • Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Eligibility

Eligible Ages
Under 70 Years
Eligible Sex
All
Accepts Healthy Volunteers
No

Inclusion Criteria

  • Patients had to have had COVID - Patients have to fulfill the 1994 case definition for chronic fatigue syndrome.

Exclusion Criteria

  • BMI > 30

Study Design

Phase
N/A
Study Type
Interventional
Allocation
N/A
Intervention Model
Single Group Assignment
Intervention Model Description
Application of electrode to left tragus with stimulus intensity at that which is just below pain threshold for 35 min a day for 6 weeks
Primary Purpose
Treatment
Masking
None (Open Label)

Arm Groups

ArmDescriptionAssigned Intervention
Experimental
Transcutaneous Non-Invasive Vagus Nerve Stimulation 		Application of electrode to left tragus with stimulus intensity at that which is just below pain threshold for 35 min a day
  • Device: Transcutaneous Non-Invasive Vagus Nerve Stimulation
    The parasym is a system for delivering a fixed signal to stimulate the auricular branch of the vagus nerve. The device used is available without prescription in UK and EU. Similar devices have been used to treat migraine and one is in testing to be used for atrial fibrillation.

Recruiting Locations

More Details

NCT ID
NCT05608629
Status
Completed
Sponsor
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Detailed Description

Patients who have had COVID and who fulfill criteria for chronic fatigue syndrome will sign IC and be mailed a parasym device with instructions its use after completing entry baseline questionnaires. Subjects will be called two, four and six weeks after beginning participation [application of electrode to left tragus with stimulus intensity at that which is just below pain threshold for 35 min a day] to ask about adverse events. At the end of 6 weeks, patients will complete these questionnaires again plus one assessing their assessment of treatment efficacy.