A Prospect to Ameliorate Affective Symptoms and to Enhance Cognition in Long COVID Using Auricular Transcutaneous Vagus Nerve Stimulation

Author:

Colzato Lorenza S.123,Elmers Julia23ORCID,Beste Christian123,Hommel Bernhard123ORCID

Affiliation:

1. Cognitive Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Shandong Normal University, Jinan 250014, China

2. Cognitive Neurophysiology, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, Dresden University of Technology, 01307 Dresden, Germany

3. Center of Clinical Neuroscience, Department of Neurology, University Hospital Carl Gustav Carus, Dresden University of Technology, 01307 Dresden, Germany

Abstract

Long COVID, the postviral disorder caused by COVID-19, is expected to become one of the leading causes of disability in Europe. The cognitive consequences of long COVID have been described as “brain fog” and characterized by anxiety and depression, and by cognitive deficits. Long COVID is assumed to be a complex condition arising from multiple causes, including persistent brainstem dysfunction and disrupted vagal signaling. We recommend the potential application of auricular transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (atVNS) as an ADD-ON instrument to compensate for the cognitive decline and to ameliorate affective symptoms caused by long COVID. This technique enhances vagal signaling by directly activating the nuclei in the brainstem, which are hypoactive in long COVID to enhance mood and to promote attention, memory, and cognitive control—factors affected by long COVID. Considering that atVNS is a non-pharmacological intervention, its ADD-ON to standard pharmaceutical agents will be useful for non-responders, making of this method a suitable tool. Given that atVNS can be employed as an ecological momentary intervention (EMI), we outline the translational advantages of atVNS in the context of accelerating the cognitive and affective recovery from long COVID.

Publisher

MDPI AG

Subject

General Medicine

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