Amygdala and Insula Retraining (AIR) Significantly Reduces Fatigue and Increases Energy in People with Long COVID

Abstract

Long COVID affects approximately 10–30% of individuals after an acute COVID-19 infection (Ceban, Ling, et al. 2022; Ortona and Malorni, 2022). Numerous symptoms, including extreme fatigue, can persist for months, resulting in social and economic hardship for individuals and their families (Ortona and Malorni 2022). Therefore, approaches that offer some relief from Long COVID are urgently needed. Research suggests that Long COVID symptoms are akin to those of chronic conditions, such as myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) and are likely caused by inflammation and immune dysfunction (Scordo et al., 2021). Amygdala and Insula Retraining (AIR), a neuroplasticity program, has successfully alleviated chronic conditions (Gupta 2010; Sanabria-Mazo et al. 2020; Toussaint et al. 2012). In this randomized controlled trial, AIR was tested against a structurally equivalent health and wellness intervention for its effectiveness in treating the symptom of fatigue among Long COVID sufferers. Results showed a significant decrease in participants’ fatigue and a significant increase in their energy after the 3-month AIR intervention. Additionally, the AIR group experienced more significant outcomes than the active control group. The AIR group demonstrated a fatigue reduction effect size four times that of the active control group, and the absolute reduction in mean scores for the AIR group was more than double that of the control group. Furthermore, the AIR group showed an effect size in energy enhancement twice that of the active control group, and the absolute increase in energy mean scores for the AIR group was almost double that of the control group. These novel findings suggest AIR is a viable means of reducing fatigue and increasing energy among Long COVID patients. Limitations and future research are discussed.