Abstract Details

Title Teleintervention for Persisting Symptoms Post-Acute COVID-19 Illness Using Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS)

Topic Neuro-rehabilitation

Presentation(s) P18 - Poster Session 18 (5:30 PM-6:30 PM)

Poster/Presentation
Number 7-001

Background PASC is the syndrome of persisting (>1 month) symptoms following COVID-19 illness, which often include fatigue, cognitive dysfunction, pain, and emotional disturbance, and can lead to significant reductions in levels of daily functioning and quality of life. As the numbers of individuals who recover from COVID-19 continue to rise world-wide, there is a critical need for therapeutic interventions for this patient population. tDCS has potential for therapeutic targeting of these PASC symptoms, with the advantage of portable and wearable devices for home-based access.

Objective

We report the approach and initial outcomes for two patients with Post-Acute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 (PASC) seen at our clinical transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) telehealth service at NYU Langone Health.

Design/Methods Patients were a 42 and 57-year-old women with PASC seen 7 and 9 months following their acute COVID-19 illness. Each daily tDCS session was delivered at-home via a video visit for 30 minutes x 2.0 mA using a left anodal dorsolateral prefrontal cortex montage. Stimulation was paired with physical exercise, online adaptive computerized cognitive training, and guided mindfulness meditation, individualized to each patient. Sessions were delivered 3-5 days per week. Clinical neuropsychological evaluation was completed before and after the intervention, and we developed a symptom inventory based on the full range of PASC symptoms reported in the literature (Assessment of PASC; A-PASC) to measure treatment outcomes.

Results

The patients experienced significant improvements across cognitive, emotional, physical, and functional domains, and both returned to work and resumed most of their daily activities following the intervention.

Conclusions

tDCS can be delivered as a teleintervention warranting its evaluation as an accessible and scalable treatment option for PASC. Further study and clinical trials of PASC are warranted.

Authors/Disclosures
Tehila Eilam-Stock, PhD (NYU Langone Health) PRESENTER	Dr. Eilam-Stock has nothing to disclose.
Allan George	Mr. George has nothing to disclose.
Matthew Lustberg	No disclosure on file
Robyn J. Wolintz, MD (NYU Langone Levit)	Dr. Wolintz has received personal compensation in the range of $5,000-$9,999 for serving on a Speakers Bureau for Biogen. Dr. Wolintz has received personal compensation in the range of $500-$4,999 for serving on a Speakers Bureau for Genzyme.
Lauren B. Krupp, MD, FAAN (NYU Langone Medical Center)	Dr. Krupp has received personal compensation in the range of $500-$4,999 for serving as a Consultant for Roche. Dr. Krupp has received personal compensation in the range of $500-$4,999 for serving as a Consultant for Novartis. Dr. Krupp has received personal compensation in the range of $500-$4,999 for serving as a Consultant for Janssen. Dr. Krupp has received personal compensation in the range of $500-$4,999 for serving as a Consultant for Gerson Lerhman. Dr. Krupp has received personal compensation in the range of $5,000-$9,999 for serving as a Consultant for medscape. Dr. Krupp has received personal compensation in the range of $500-$4,999 for serving as a Consultant for NeuroLive. Dr. Krupp has received personal compensation in the range of $500-$4,999 for serving as a Consultant for Eisai. Dr. Krupp has received personal compensation in the range of $5,000-$9,999 for serving on a Scientific Advisory or Data Safety Monitoring board for Sanofi. Dr. Krupp has received personal compensation in the range of $500-$4,999 for serving on a Scientific Advisory or Data Safety Monitoring board for Biogen. Dr. Krupp has received personal compensation in the range of $500-$4,999 for serving as an officer or member of the Board of Directors for Cleveland Clinic. Dr. Krupp has received personal compensation in the range of $500-$4,999 for serving as an Expert Witness for MCIC. The institution of Dr. Krupp has received research support from Biogen. The institution of Dr. Krupp has received research support from National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Dr. Krupp has received intellectual property interests from a discovery or technology relating to health care.
Leigh E. Charvet, PhD (NYU Langone)	Dr. Charvet has received personal compensation in the range of $500-$4,999 for serving as a Consultant for Johnson & Johnson. Dr. Charvet has received personal compensation in the range of $500-$4,999 for serving as a Consultant for Springer Healthcare. Dr. Charvet has received personal compensation in the range of $10,000-$49,999 for serving as a Consultant for YBrain. Dr. Charvet has stock in Johnson&Johnson.