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Brain Stimulation in Long COVID
Sponsor: Amsterdam UMC, location VUmc
Summary
Cognitive problems and severe fatigue are two frequently occurring symptoms in long COVID, also known as Post-Covid Condition or Post-Acute Sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC), and their causes are currently unknown. Previous studies have shown reduced blood flow and increased inflammation in the brains of people with PASC. These brain processes are related to fatigue and cognitive problems. In other conditions, these disrupted brain processes have been treated safely and successfully with non-invasive brain stimulation. This may offer an effective treatment for people with PASC. The main goal of this clinical trial is to see whether non-invasive brain stimulation called repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) can reduce fatigue in adults with PASC who also have trouble concentrating. rTMS uses short magnetic pulses on the scalp to gently stimulate a small brain area. In this study, 66 adults with PASC will be included, recruited through the Post-COVID Network Netherlands. Participants will be randomly assigned to receive either active rTMS or sham (placebo) rTMS. Sham rTMS feels and looks similar to the active treatment, but it does not generate effective magnetic pulses. The brain area that will be targeted is personalized using a brain scan (MRI) during a planning task. All participants will receive 24 rTMS sessions over six weeks (four per week). Fatigue will be measured within two weeks before and two weeks after treatment to determine whether active rTMS works better than sham. We will also look at cognition, brain connectivity and blood flow, signs of (neuro)inflammation, daily activity using an activity watch, and questionnaires about quality of life, mood, and sleep. Follow-up on cognition and questionnaires will take place 3 and 6 months after the end of the treatment.
Official title: Mitigating Cognitive Problems and Fatigue With Brain Stimulation in Long COVID
Key Details
Gender
All
Age Range
18 Years - Any
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Enrollment
66
Start Date
2025-11-17
Completion Date
2029-05-12
Last Updated
2025-12-19
Healthy Volunteers
No
Interventions
Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation
The active intervention will consist of high-frequency (10 Hz) TMS delivered to the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), at 110% of the individual's resting motor threshold, adjusted for the individual cortex-skull distance, with 3,000 pulses per session with a total duration of 30 minutes (60 trains of 5 seconds, 25-second inter-train intervals). Sham-stimulation will be administered at 60% motor threshold at the same location (left DLPFC) using a placebo coil, which is identical to the stimulation coil in appearance, but with a built-in metal plate that blocks most of the active stimulation while maintaining mechanical scalp sensation. The stimulation target will be individualized using functional MRI data acquired during a Tower of London planning task allowing neuronavigation to the site of task-related activation. Each participant will receive four sessions per week for six weeks, totaling 24 sessions.
Sham device
Sham-stimulation will be administered at 60% motor threshold at the left DLPFC using a placebo coil, which is identical to the stimulation coil in appearance, but with a built-in metal plate that blocks most of the active stimulation while maintaining mechanical scalp sensation. 3,000 pulses per session will be applied with a total duration of 30 minutes (60 trains of 5 seconds, 25-second inter-train intervals). The stimulation target will be individualized using functional MRI data acquired during a Tower of London planning task, allowing neuronavigation to the site of task-related activation. Each participant will receive four sessions per week for six weeks, totaling 24 sessions.
Locations (1)
Amsterdam UMC
Amsterdam, Netherlands