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BACKGROUND: Body composition, blood pressure, estimated maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max), lung function, physical activity, muscle architecture, and endothelial function had not previously been examined in people with young onset dementia. Therefore, the study measured these variables in a young onset dementia group, compared them to age-matched controls. METHODS: Estimated VO2max (via the Astrand-Rhyming test), body composition, blood pressure, lung function (via spirometry), muscle architecture (via ultrasonography) and endothelial function (via flow mediated dilation) were assessed. Physical activity was measured using ActiGraph accelerometers for 7 days. RESULTS: We recruited 33 participants (16 young onset dementia, 17 controls). The young onset dementia group had shorter fascicle lengths of the vastus lateralis, were sedentary for longer over a seven-day period, and completed less moderate-vigorous physical activity than controls (p=0.028, d=0.81; large effect, p=0.029, d=0.54; moderate effect, and p=0.014, d=0.97; large effect, respectively for pairwise comparisons). Pairwise comparisons suggest no differences at the p<0.05 level between young onset dementia and controls for estimated VO2max (despite a moderate effect size [d=0.66]), height, body mass, BMI, blood pressure, light physical activity, lung function, muscle thickness, pennation angle, or endothelial function. CONCLUSION: This study highlights differences between people with young onset dementia and controls, underscoring the need for multicomponent exercise interventions. Future interventions should target muscle architecture, increase moderate-vigorous physical activity, and reduce sedentariness, with the goal of improving quality of life and promoting functional independence.
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BACKGROUND: Well-being and cognitive function had not previously been compared between people with long COVID and people with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). Therefore, this study examined well-being and cognitive function in people with long COVID (â¼16 months illness duration; n = 17) and ME/CFS (â¼16 years illness duration; n = 24), versus age-matched healthy controls (n = 16). METHODS: Well-being was examined using several questionnaires, namely the Health Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS), post-exertional malaise (PEM), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), European Quality of Life-5 Domains (EQ-5D), MRC Dyspnoea, Self-Efficacy (SELTC), The Edinburgh Neurosymptoms Questionnaire (ENS), General Anxiety Disorder 7 (GAD-7) and Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ-9). Cognitive function was examined using Single Digit Modalities Test (SDMT), Stroop test and Trails A and B. These were delivered via a mobile application (app) built specifically for this remote data collection. RESULTS: The main findings of the present investigation were that people with ME/CFS and people with long COVID were generally comparable on all well-being and cognitive function measures, but self-reported worse values for pain, fatigue, post-exertional malaise, sleep quality, general well-being in relation to mobility, usual activities, self-care, breathlessness, neurological symptoms, self-efficacy and other well-being such as anxiety and depression, compared to controls. There was no effect of group for cognitive function measures. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that both people with long COVID and people with ME/CFS have similar impairment on well-being measures examined herein. Therefore, interventions that target well-being of people with ME/CFS and long COVID are required.
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PURPOSE: Dexterity and bimanual coordination had not previously been compared between people with long COVID and people with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). Therefore, this study determined dexterity and bimanual coordination in people with long COVID (â¼16-month illness duration; n = 21) and ME/CFS (â¼16-year illness duration; n = 20), vs age-matched healthy controls (n = 20). METHODS: Dexterity and bimanual coordination was determined using the Purdue pegboard test. RESULTS: The main findings of the present investigation were that people with ME/CFS and people with long COVID were generally comparable for Purdue pegboard tests (P > .556 and d < 0.36 for pairwise comparisons). It is worth noting however, that both these patient groups performed poorer in the Perdue pegboard test than healthy controls (P < .169 and d > 0.40 for pairwise comparisons). CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that both people with long COVID and people with ME/CFS have similarly impaired dexterity and bimanual coordination. Therefore, there is an urgent need for interventions to target dexterity and bimanual coordination in people with ME/CFS, and given the current pandemic, people with long COVID.
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BACKGROUND: Prevalences of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and complex post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) have not previously been compared between individuals with long coronavirus disease (COVID) and individuals with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), and healthy age-matched controls. For these reasons, this study aimed to determine the prevalence of PTSD and CPTSD in individuals with long COVID (n = 21) and ME/CFS (n = 20) and age-matched controls (n = 20). METHODS: A case-case-control approach was employed; participants completed the International Trauma Questionnaire, a self-report measure of the International Classification of Diseases of PTSD and CPTSD consisting of 18 items. Scores were calculated for each PTSD and Disturbances in Self-Organization (DSO) symptom cluster and summed to produce PTSD and DSO scores. PTSD was diagnosed if the criteria for PTSD were met but not DSO, and CPTSD was diagnosed if the criteria for PTSD and DSO were met. Moreover, each cluster of PTSD and DSO were compared among individuals with long COVID, ME/CFS, and healthy controls. RESULTS: Individuals with long COVID (PTSD = 5%, CPTSD = 33%) had more prevalence of PTSD and CPTSD than individuals with ME/CFS (PTSD = 0%, CPTSD = 20%) and healthy controls (PTSD = 0%, CPTSD = 0%). PTSD and CPTSD prevalence was greater in individuals with long COVID and ME/CFS than controls. Individuals with long COVID had greater values controls for all PTSD values. Moreover, individuals with long COVID had greater values than controls for all DSO values. Individuals with ME/CFS had greater values than controls for all DSO values. Both long COVID and ME/CFS groups differed in overall symptom scores compared with controls. CONCLUSION: Findings of this study demonstrated that individuals with long COVID generally had more cases of PTSD and CPTSD than individuals with ME/CFS and healthy controls.
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PURPOSE: Postural sway and physical capacity had not previously been compared between people with long COVID and people with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). Therefore, this study determined postural sway and physical capacity in people with long COVID (â¼16-month illness duration; n = 21) and ME/CFS (â¼16-year illness duration; n = 20), vs age-matched healthy controls (n = 20). METHODS: Postural sway was during a 30-s static stand test. Physical capacity was determined using the Timed Up and Go test and 5 Times Sit to Stand test. Throughout, participants wore isoinertial measurement units. RESULTS: Postural sway was worse (ie, greater) in people with long COVID and ME/CFS than controls, but not different between long COVID and ME/CFS. Performance of the Timed Up and Go test and 5 Times Sit to Stand test were worse in long COVID and ME/CFS than controls, but not different between long COVID and ME/CFS. Of long COVID and ME/CFS participants, 87% and 13% exceeded the threshold for muscle weakness in the 5 Times Sit to Stand test and Timed Up and Go test, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: These data suggest that both people with long COVID and people with ME/CFS have similarly impaired balance and physical capacity. Therefore, there is an urgent need for interventions to target postural sway and physical capacity in people with ME/CFS, and given the current pandemic, people with long COVID.