Addressing persistent symptoms in post-COVID condition: Through a multimodal intervention delivered in two...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Rehabilitation Medicine
• Digital Health

Background:

• Persistent symptoms after acute COVID-19, known as post-COVID-19 condition (PCC), are a significant cause of disability.
• The World Health Organization recommends early, multidisciplinary rehabilitation using accessible, hybrid care models for PCC.
• Currently, there is a lack of standard protocols and limited research on digital rehabilitation formats for PCC.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effects of two digital rehabilitation formats—immersive virtual reality (IVR) and a self-guided online program—on cognitive and functional outcomes in individuals with PCC.

Main Methods:

• A nonrandomized, quasiexperimental pre-post design was employed with 172 adults diagnosed with PCC.
• Participants engaged in a 12-week multimodal program incorporating cognitive training, physical activity, and mindfulness.
• Interventions included either IVR or a self-guided online program, with a usual-care control group.

Main Results:

• Significant group-by-time interactions were observed across multiple domains.
• IVR demonstrated improvements in global cognition, immediate recall, recognition memory, and response inhibition.
• The online intervention led to improvements in verbal recognition, mindfulness, and perceived health-related quality of life.

Conclusions:

• Both IVR and online multimodal interventions provided domain-specific cognitive and functional benefits for individuals with PCC.
• These findings support the utility of multicomponent rehabilitation strategies delivered through digital platforms.
• The study highlights that observed effects may reflect differential developmental trajectories rather than solely immediate postintervention differences.