Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in the treatment of neuropsychiatric symptoms of long COVID

Abstract

The study aimed to assess the efficacy of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) in the treatment of neuropsychiatric (NP) symptoms of the post-acute sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 infection (PASC), known as the long COVID. A double-blind, randomized, sham-controlled study compared the efficacy and safety of prefrontal cortex active tDCS to sham-tDCS in treating NP-PASC. Patients diagnosed with NP-PASC, with a Fatigue Impact Scale (FIS) score ≥ 40, were eligible for the study. Twenty tDCS sessions were administered within four weeks, with continuous, end-of-treatment, and follow-up measurements. The primary outcome was a change in the FIS at the end-of-treatment, analyzed in the intention-to-treat population. Data from 33 patients assigned to active (n = 16) or sham-tDCS (n = 17) were analyzed. After the treatment, a decrease in the FIS score was more pronounced in the sham than in the active group, yet the intergroup difference was insignificant (11.7 [95% CI −11.1 to 34.5], p = 0.6). Furthermore, no significant intergroup differences were observed regarding anxiety, depression, quality of life, and cognitive performance. The small cohort sample, differences in baseline FIS scores between groups (non-stratified randomization), or chosen stimulation parameters may have influenced our findings. However, it might also be possible that the expected mechanism of action of tDCS is insufficient to treat these conditions.