Rehabilitation of Neuropsychiatric Symptoms in Patients with Long-COVID: Position Statement 2022 Sacks-Zimmerman et al

Abstract

Long-COVID, a term used to describe ongoing symptoms following SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) infection, parallels the course of other post-viral syndromes. Neuropsychiatric symptoms of Long-COVID can be persistent and interfere with quality of life and functioning. Within the biopsychosocial framework of chronic illness, rehabilitation professionals can address the neuropsychiatric sequelae of Long-COVID. However, current practice models are not designed to address concurrent psychiatric and cognitive symptoms in adults living with Long-COVID. Thus, we present a biopsychosocial framework for Long-COVID and provide treatment strategies based on evidence from current literature of post-viral chronic illness. These recommendations will guide rehabilitation professionals in 1) identifying common neuropsychiatric symptoms in Long-COVID that can be targeted for intervention and 2) addressing these symptoms via integrative interventions taking into account the biopsychosocial presentation of Long-COVID symptoms.

Open access, https://www.archives-pmr.org/article/S0003-9993(22)01658-6/fulltext

 

"Long-COVID has neuropsychiatric symptoms akin to the effects of other chronic medical conditions. Continuous fatigue, “brain fog”, mood dysfunction, diminished engagement in daily tasks, and emotional distress are common among patients living with prolonged medical challenges, such as cancer and its treatment, trauma secondary to intensive care procedures, ME/CFS, or post-concussive syndrome28-31 and are frequently under-recognized or invalidated by society at large.31-35 Diagnostic and interventional approaches to Long-COVID can be gleaned from parallels with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/ Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS), post-concussive syndrome, herpes simplex encephalopathy (HSE), rubella, West Nile, and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)."

 

There seem to be only two references that link to published ME/CFS work

"Long-COVID has a similar presentation and course as other post-viral syndromes." = Ref(4)discussed at: https://www.s4me.info/threads/long-...ology-2021-wong-and-weizer.20310/#post-341044

"ME/CFS, or post-concussive syndrome and are frequently under-recognized or invalidated by society at large." = Ref(31)discussed at: https://www.s4me.info/threads/a-uni...rs-2018-mark-j-edwards-et-al.3992/#post-69964

which might be seen as squeezing ME/CFS into a "convenient fit".

 

So there is still almost zero awareness that this is an on/off switch, that it can settle in quickly but also resolve basically overnight in some people. In others it slowly improves but in most cases one day it just improves a lot and that's it. It's beyond clear that there is nothing to "rehabilitate", let alone learn, that there is an active process causing this and since it can turn itself off as naturally as a fever, there is nothing specific to do in most cases.

Where does this obsession with magical rehabilitation even come from? One of the most useful feature of experts is that they pay attention to details. And then there's this. What an absolute disaster.

 

Basically a re-hash of the usual same: CBT, ACT, GET, "central sentisization". Zero effort, barely a copy-paste job. This is reheated pseudoscience. Boo.

Clueless, this is just drawing boxes and arrows for the hell of it, fits right along with the imaginary internal dialogues they imagine we must have.

 

The rehab fan club:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUmZp8pR1uc