Assessment of brain connectivity in patients with fatigue and pain in Long Covid: A study with the Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation system associated with Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy
The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the lives of many Brazilians across various aspects of their lives. However, for a group of those who were infected, even after recovery, the path of persistent symptoms can be long and enduring. In Long Covid condition the most common symptoms are fatigue and pain, which can begin during the infection period and persist for at least 12 weeks. Studies suggest that these symptoms may occur due to the neuroinvasion of the COVID-19 virus in brain regions, altering neuronal structure, function, and connectivity. Among the various neuroimaging methods available to investigate possible changes, functional near-infrared spectroscopy has been used in other health conditions alongside transcranial magnetic stimulation, as an integrated technique to assess the neuronal excitability of circulatory brain biomarkers. The objective of this study is to investigate the presence of brain biomarkers for fatigue and pain in participants with Long COVID, using the experimental method of functional near-infrared spectroscopy with pulses evoked by transcranial magnetic stimulation.