Fatigue is one of the most common symptoms of long Covid.
At Newcastle University, our experts have found that the nervous system of people with post-Covid fatigue is underactive in three key areas. The discovery could revolutionise treatment and diagnosis.
Learn more from Dr Mark Baker’s blog: https://from.ncl.ac.uk/unlocking-the-secrets-of-long-covid.
Explore more cutting-edge research from Newcastle University: https://from.ncl.ac.uk
Unlocking the secrets of long Covid. About 1.9 million people, around 3% of the UK population, have long Covid. Among them, almost three-quarters are experiencing disabling symptoms of fatigue. Here at Newcastle University, researchers have made a breakthrough that could help medics treat long Covid symptoms.
Funded by the Medical Research Council, our specialists conducted tests on people with post-Covid fatigue and compared them to those without symptoms. Our ground-breaking results revealed that people with long Covid had: 1. Slower brain reactions due to underactivity in certain cortical circuits. 2. Muscle issues – their muscle fibres tired more quickly after
Exercise compared to those without symptoms. And 3. An imbalanced autonomic nervous system – the network regulating processes like blood pressure and breathing was impaired, affecting various bodily functions. Based on these findings and other research, our experts are testing whether stimulating the vagus nerve could help regulate the autonomic nervous system and improve symptoms.
The vagus nerve has been described as the ‘hidden housekeeper’ of the body. By connecting the brainstem to organs such as the heart, lungs, spleen and gut, it controls important autonomic functions of the body such as heart rate, blood pressure, inflammation and digestion.
We’re using funding from the National Institute for Health Research to test a non-invasive way of stimulating the vagus nerve. This involves clipping an electrode on the ear’s tragus and using a TENS machine to deliver an electric current. Our goal is to assess if boosting vagus nerve activity with TENS can improve fatigue.
The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic will be felt for years to come. Our experts will continue to be at the forefront of research into its causes and treatments.