Cardiopulmonary rehabilitation's influence on cognitive functions, psychological state, and sleep quality in long COVID-19 patients: A randomized controlled trial

Abstract

Background: Cognitive impairment, brain fog, depressive symptoms, and sleep disturbance are prevalent symptoms among individuals with long COVID, for which there currently is no treatment.

Aim: To assess the effectiveness of an eight-week cardiopulmonary rehabilitation programme on cognition, psychological well-being, and sleep quality in individuals with long COVID-19.

Methods: Forty participants diagnosed with long COVID-19 (26 female, 14 male participants; mean age 53 ± 11 years) were randomly assigned to a rehabilitation group or to a control group. The control group maintained their regular daily habits, while the rehabilitation group was prescribed an individualized clinical programme consisting of three sessions per week. Each session involved light to moderate aerobic exercise, resistance training, and respiratory exercises. Neuropsychological tests evaluating executive function, memory, and processing speed were administered at baseline and at study completion. Participants also completed questionnaires on their psychological state and sleep quality at both time points.

Results: No difference between groups was observed for neuropsychological test performance, however significant group differences in perceived stress and depression were found post-intervention.

Conclusion: Cardiopulmonary rehabilitation was shown to be effective in individuals suffering from long COVID in terms of decreasing perceived stress and depression levels but not for neuropsychological test performance.ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT05035628.Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT05035628..

Keywords: Long COVID; cardiopulmonary rehabilitation; cognitive functions; exercise training; psychological well-being.