Percutaneous Auricular Nerve Stimulation for Treating Post-COVID Fatigue (PAuSing-pCF)

Fatigue is a very common symptom of Long COVID. It can have a devastating impact on lives and patients have highlighted the need for new treatments.

There is growing evidence that non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation over several weeks can improve fatigue and reduce levels of inflammation in patients with chronic fatigue.

In this study, we plan to test the effects of vagus nerve stimulation on fatigue. We will use a transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) device to activate the vagus nerve via the skin around the ear. TENS is available over the counter without prescription and can be easily and safely done at home.

We will be using lab-based tests to measure changes in fatigue, brain circuits and muscle activity over time.

Our project aims to:

• Establish whether vagus nerve dysfunction is important mechanistically in post-COVID fatigue
• Test whether boosting vagus nerve activity with TENS can improve symptoms of fatigue
• Identify neurophysiological and immunological biomarkers

Recruitment:

(Please note, this study has now stopped recruiting.)

We are looking for adults (18-65 years of age) who are suffering from post-COVID fatigue to participate in our study at Newcastle University. You should have had a positive COVID diagnosis over 4 weeks ago, but did not require hospitalisation for the initial illness. You shouldn't have any history of chronic fatgiue, cardiovascular or neurological problems before COVID.

If you meet these criteria, please complete this short questionnaire and a member of our team will be in touch.

You can view the full details of the study in our PAuSing-pCF Information Sheet (PDF 207KB)

If you have any questions email our team pausing.covidfatigue@newcastle.ac.uk