Transcutaneous Spinal Cord Stimulation Facilitates Respiratory Functional Performance in Patients with Post-Acute COVID-19

Life, 2023 · DOI: 10.3390/life13071563 · Published: July 14, 2023

Simple Explanation

This study explores how stimulating the spinal cord through the skin (scTS) can help people with breathing problems after having COVID-19. They tested whether this stimulation could improve breathing function in these patients. The researchers used scTS on patients with post-COVID-19 respiratory issues and healthy individuals, measuring their breathing before and after the stimulation. They focused on measures like how quickly they could inhale and exhale. The study found that scTS improved breathing in post-COVID-19 patients, suggesting it could be a useful part of rehabilitation programs to help them recover their respiratory function.

Study Duration

December 2020 and March 2022

Participants

10 post-acute COVID-19 patients and 8 healthy controls

Evidence Level

Case-controlled clinical study

Key Findings

1
In COVID-19 patients, scTS significantly increased peak inspiratory flow (PIF) and peak expiratory flow (PEF).
2
scTS significantly decreased the time-to-peak of inspiratory flow (tPIF) and time-to-peak of expiratory flow (tPEF) in COVID-19 patients.
3
In healthy controls, scTS increased PIF but decreased PEF, indicating different effects on inspiratory and expiratory motor networks.

Research Summary

This study investigated the effects of transcutaneous spinal cord stimulation (scTS) on respiratory function in post-acute COVID-19 patients and healthy controls. The results showed that scTS improved inspiratory and expiratory functions in COVID-19 patients, as indicated by increased PIF and PEF and decreased tPIF and tPEF. The study suggests that scTS could be a valuable tool in respiratory rehabilitation programs for patients recovering from COVID-19.

Practical Implications

Rehabilitation Strategy

scTS could be integrated into rehabilitation programs for patients with COVID-19 respiratory deficits.

Neuromodulation Technique

scTS can be utilized as a neuromodulation technique to improve respiratory functional performance.

Future Research

Further research is needed to define specific pathophysiological mechanisms related to neural dysfunction in patients with COVID-19.

Study Limitations

1
The study included unmatched controls with notable differences in baseline parameters.
2
Full-scale clinical trials are needed to validate these findings.
3
The scTS protocol can be improved by relocating or adding anodes to the anterior upper thoracic region.

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