Examining well-being and cognitive function in people with long Covid and ME/CFS, and age-matched healthy controls: A Case-Case-Control Study

Nilihan E M Sanal-Hayes; Marie Mclaughlin; Lawrence D Hayes; Ethan C J Berry; Nicholas F Sculthorpe

doi:10.1016/j.amjmed.2024.04.041

Examining well-being and cognitive function in people with long Covid and ME/CFS, and age-matched healthy controls: A Case-Case-Control Study

Am J Med. 2024 May 13:S0002-9343(24)00273-0. doi: 10.1016/j.amjmed.2024.04.041. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Nilihan E M Sanal-Hayes¹, Marie Mclaughlin², Lawrence D Hayes³, Ethan C J Berry⁴, Nicholas F Sculthorpe⁴

Affiliations

¹ School of Health and Society, University of Salford, Salford, UK; Sport and Physical Activity Research Institute, School of Health and Life Sciences, University of the West of Scotland, Glasgow, UK. Electronic address: N.E.M.Sanal-Hayes@Salford.ac.uk.
² Sport and Physical Activity Research Institute, School of Health and Life Sciences, University of the West of Scotland, Glasgow, UK; School of Sport, Exercise & Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Hull, Hull, UK.
³ Sport and Physical Activity Research Institute, School of Health and Life Sciences, University of the West of Scotland, Glasgow, UK; Lancaster Medical School, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK.
⁴ Sport and Physical Activity Research Institute, School of Health and Life Sciences, University of the West of Scotland, Glasgow, UK.

PMID: 38750713
DOI: 10.1016/j.amjmed.2024.04.041

Abstract

Purpose: Well-being and cognitive function had not previously been compared between people with long COVID and people with Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS). Therefore, this study examined well-being and cognitive function in people with long COVID (∼16 months illness duration; n= 17) and ME/CFS (∼16 years illness duration; n=24), versus age-matched healthy controls (n=16).

Methods: Well-being was examined using several questionnaires, namely the Health Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS), Post-exertional malaise (PEM), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), European Quality of Life-5 Domains (EQ-5D), MRC Dyspnoea, Self-Efficacy (SELTC), The Edinburgh Neurosymptoms Questionnaire (ENS), General Anxiety Disorder 7 (GAD-7), and Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ-9). Cognitive function was examined using Single Digit Modalities Test (SDMT), Stroop test, and Trails A and B. These were delivered via a mobile application (app) built specifically for this remote data collection.

Results: The main findings of the present investigation were that people with ME/CFS and people with long COVID were generally comparable on all well-being and cognitive function measures, but self-reported worse values for pain, fatigue, Post-exertional malaise, sleep quality, general well-being in relation to mobility, usual activities, self-care, breathlessness, neurological symptoms, self-efficacy, and other well-being such as anxiety and depression, compared to controls. There was no effect of group for cognitive function measures.

Conclusions: These data suggest that both people with long COVID and people with ME/CFS have similar impairment on well-being measures examined herein. Therefore, interventions that target well-being of people with ME/CFS and long COVID are required.

Keywords: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome; Cognitive function; Long COVID; Myalgic Encephalomyelitis; Post-Exertional Malaise; Well-being.