Autonomic dysfunction in post-COVID patients with & witfhout neurological symptoms: a prospective multidomain observational study, 2021, Stella et al

Abstract

The autonomic nervous system (ANS) can be affected by COVID-19, and dysautonomia may be a possible complication in post-COVID individuals. Orthostatic hypotension (OH) and postural tachycardia syndrome (POTS) have been suggested to be common after SARS-CoV-2 infection, but other components of ANS function may be also impaired. The Composite Autonomic Symptom Scale 31 (COMPASS-31) questionnaire is a simple and validated tool to assess dysautonomic symptoms. The aim of the present study was to administer the COMPASS-31 questionnaire to a sample of post-COVID patients with and without neurological complaints. Participants were recruited among the post-COVID ambulatory services for follow-up evaluation between 4 weeks and 9 months from COVID-19 symptoms onset. Participants were asked to complete the COMPASS-31 questionnaire referring to the period after COVID-19 disease. Heart rate and blood pressure were manually taken during an active stand test for OH and POTS diagnosis. One-hundred and eighty participants were included in the analysis (70.6% females, 51 ± 13 years), and OH was found in 13.8% of the subjects. Median COMPASS-31 score was 17.6 (6.9–31.4), with the most affected domains being orthostatic intolerance, sudomotor, gastrointestinal and pupillomotor dysfunction. A higher COMPASS-31 score was found in those with neurological symptoms (p < 0.01), due to more severe orthostatic intolerance symptoms (p < 0.01), although gastrointestinal (p < 0.01), urinary (p < 0.01), and pupillomotor (p < 0.01) domains were more represented in the non-neurological symptoms group. This study confirms the importance of monitoring ANS symptoms as a possible complication of COVID-19 disease that may persist in the post-acute period.

Open access, https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00415-021-10735-y

 

Hi, @Andy - you've included an extra 'f' in the title 'Autonomic dysfunction in post-COVID patients with & witfhout...'

 

That's how it currently is on the journal's website....

 

Editorial and review process? What editorial and review process?

 

I kind of like that new word: "witfhout"....

But, more seriously, perhaps findings in autonomic dysfunction in pwLHCOVID may lead somewhere.

Several years pre ME I had a nasty flu for about 7 to 10 days that made me feel quite faint when upright. I suppose this flu symptom is fairly common. Fortunately, back then, post flu, the OI went away. Really wish it would go away now.

 

Perhaps its an old English "s", which would make the word "witshout", which everyone knows is Shakespearean for a loud joke.