People with Long COVID and ME/CFS Exhibit Similarly Impaired Dexterity and Bimanual Coordination: A Case-Case-Control Study

Abstract

Purpose: Dexterity and bimanual coordination had not previously been compared between people with long COVID and people with myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS). Therefore, this study determined dexterity and bimanual coordination in people with long COVID (∼16-month illness duration; n = 21) and ME/CFS (∼16-year illness duration; n = 20), vs age-matched healthy controls (n = 20).

Methods: Dexterity and bimanual coordination was determined using the Purdue pegboard test.

Results: The main findings of the present investigation were that people with ME/CFS and people with long COVID were generally comparable for Purdue pegboard tests (P > .556 and d < 0.36 for pairwise comparisons). It is worth noting however, that both these patient groups performed poorer in the Perdue pegboard test than healthy controls (P < .169 and d > 0.40 for pairwise comparisons).

Conclusions: These data suggest that both people with long COVID and people with ME/CFS have similarly impaired dexterity and bimanual coordination. Therefore, there is an urgent need for interventions to target dexterity and bimanual coordination in people with ME/CFS, and given the current pandemic, people with long COVID.

Keywords: Bimanual coordination; Chronic fatigue syndrome; Dexterity; Myalgic encephalomyelitis; Neural; Postexertional malaise; Purdue pegboard test.