Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39457567›Full record

ArticleBiomedicines2024

Slow-Paced Breathing Intervention in Healthcare Workers Affected by Long COVID: Effects on Systemic and Dysfunctional Breathing Symptoms, Manual Dexterity and HRV.

Marcella Mauro, Elisa Zulian, Nicoletta Bestiaco, Maurizio Polano, Francesca Larese Filon

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Biomedicines, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Marcella MauroUnit of Occupational Medicine, Department of Medical Sciences, University of Trieste, 34129 Trieste, Italy.ORCID 0000-0003-1317-3448
Elisa ZulianUnit of Occupational Medicine, Department of Medical Sciences, University of Trieste, 34129 Trieste, Italy.ORCID 0009-0003-2224-6837
Nicoletta BestiacoUnit of Occupational Medicine, Department of Medical Sciences, University of Trieste, 34129 Trieste, Italy.ORCID 0009-0001-7175-6724
Maurizio PolanoExperimental and Clinical Pharmacology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico, 33081 Aviano, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-6101-1382
Francesca Larese FilonUnit of Occupational Medicine, Department of Medical Sciences, University of Trieste, 34129 Trieste, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-7717-0417

Funding

University of Trieste FRA 2022
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundMany COVID-19 survivors still experience long-term effects of an acute infection, most often characterised by neurological, cognitive and psychiatric sequelae. The treatment of this condition is challenging, and many hypotheses have been proposed. Non-invasive vagus nerve stimulation using slow-paced breathing (SPB) could stimulate both central nervous system areas and parasympathetic autonomic pathways, leading to neuromodulation and a reduction in inflammation. The aim of the present study was to evaluate physical, cognitive, emotional symptoms, executive functions and autonomic cardiac modulation after one month of at-home slow breathing intervention.

methods6655 healthcare workers (HCWs) were contacted via a company email in November 2022, of which N = 58 HCWs were enrolled as long COVID (cases) and N = 53 HCWs as controls. A baseline comparison of the two groups was performed. Subsequently each case was instructed on how to perform a resonant SPB using visual heart rate variability (HRV) biofeedback. They were then given a mobile video tutorial breathing protocol and asked to perform it three times a day (morning, early afternoon and before sleep). N = 33 cases completed the FU. At T0 and T1, each subject underwent COVID-related, psychosomatic and dysfunctional breathing questionnaires coupled with heart rate variability and manual dexterity assessments.

resultsAfter one month of home intervention, an overall improvement in long-COVID symptoms was observed: confusion/cognitive impairment, chest pain, asthenia, headache and dizziness decreased significantly, while only a small increase in manual dexterity was found, and no relevant changes in cardiac parasympathetic modulation were observed.

Indexed as

autonomic effectsbreathing exercisesclinical trialexecutive functionsheart rate variabilitylong COVIDmedical unexplained symptomsNijmgen questionnairePurdue Pegboard testvagus nerve stimulation

Identifiers

PMID39457567
PMCPMC11505241

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.